Tipperary parking shake-up to go to consultation in early 2026, with Thurles calls growing to scrap charges.
A countywide overhaul of parking charges and permits across Tipperary’s nine pay-parking towns is due to go to public consultation in early 2026, after councillors examined proposals at a series of workshops aimed at “harmonising” how parking is managed from town to town.
The characterisation of Thurles town centre as “just a drive through area” reflects ongoing public concerns about traffic congestion and the impact of traffic management schemes on the town’s future vitality.
The nine towns currently within the Council’s eParking/pay-parking system are Thurles, Cahir, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clonmel, Nenagh, Roscrea, Templemore and Tipperary Town.
What’s in the proposals (as currently outlined)? Three-tier classification: the nine towns would be grouped into Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3, with a different pricing structure depending on classification. First 20 minutes free: the plan would introduce a formal 20-minute free-parking period in each town when implemented (reported for September 2026). Charging hours: parking charges are proposed to apply 8.30am–6.30pm, every day except Sunday. Permit overhaul: reforms are proposed for the full range of permits, including categories such as residential and visitor permits, alongside other permit types. Off-street incentives and local “return” of revenue: the outline includes lower charges for off-street parking and a new approach to how parking income is used locally (with towns retaining a share of additional revenue above an agreed baseline). Submissions urged: the public are being encouraged to make submissions, seeking calls for one hour duration in free parking, rather than 20 minutes.
Why Thurles is central to the debate.
Despite Tipperary County Council initiatives framed as boosting Thurles town-centre trade and footfall (including measures such as time-limited free parking promotions), local retailers have long argued the centre cannot compete with shopping centres offering easier/free parking. They say that, following recent town-centre parking changes and the loss/uncertainty around key capacity, shopper activity has increasingly gravitated towards Thurles Shopping Centre and LIDL on Slievenamon Road, to the detriment of town-centre shops, because sufficient convenient parking has not been maintained with recent upgrading.
In Thurles, the conversation is being shaped by a series of recent town-centre parking and traffic changes, including:
A push to increase short-stay turnover in central areas, following concerns that all-day parking by workers was squeezing out shoppers.
Ongoing controversy around plans linked to Liberty Square, where parking spaces have been a recurring flashpoint.
The introduction of updated local rules under Thurles Municipal District Parking Bye-Laws 2025, adopted by elected members and brought into effect in April 2025.
Pressure on supply from the loss/closure of key town-centre parking, including the Munster Hotel car park closure, Market Area and The Source closures, alongside other long-term reductions referenced locally (reported as over 100 spaces).
“Abolish charges altogether” – the emerging Thurles position. Against that backdrop, the argument being made by some in Thurles is straightforward: because the town centre has already absorbed significant disruption and a tightening of parking availability, parking charges should be abolished altogether rather than “rebalanced.” There is precedent for this stance in the Liberty Square context, with calls previously made for parking charges to be suspended in Thurles during major works to help protect footfall.
What happens next ? The Council is expected to publish consultation details in early 2026, allowing residents, traders and commuters to lodge submissions on:
the tiering model,
the free-parking period,
charging hours and enforcement,
permit eligibility and pricing,
how parking income should be reinvested locally.
Tipperary County Council already uses its online portal to run formal public consultations on matters of upgrading and parking bye-law proposals, however, the petty exercise of same authority, by minor officials is perceived only as a “tick box” exercise, rather than a meaningful tool for future public consultative policy development.
Alleged School Bus Tender Collusion Case Hears Claims of ‘Loaded Dice’ in Tipperary and Surrounding Counties.
The Central Criminal Court has heard allegations that five school bus operators attempted to “load the dice” in their favour by distorting competition in the tender process for school transport services across five counties.
Five Tipperary men are being prosecuted by the Competition Authority in connection with the provision of school transport services. All five deny the charges.
The accused are: Mr Andrew Walsh aged 62, Derrymore, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. Mr Raymond Heney aged 54, Camas, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Mr Noel Browne aged 77, Bansha, Co. Tipperary. Mr Larry Hickey aged 73, Ardmayle, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Mr Anthony Flynn aged 51, Golden Road, Cashel, Co. Tipperary.
Each man faces a single charge under the Competition Act 2002. It is alleged that, between 1st November 2014 and 31st December 2016, they engaged in a concerted practice which had as its object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition in trade in the provision of school transport services.
The trial has heard that all of the accused were involved in bidding for tenders to provide school bus routes during the period in question. It is alleged that, rather than competing independently, the men colluded in how they would bid.
The jury was told that one of the accused arranged meetings with other bus operators, ostensibly to assist with administrative processes. At these meetings, it is alleged that operators discussed the allocation and pricing of school bus routes and agreed to bid for tenders in a coordinated manner.
Counsel for the prosecution, Dominic McGinn SC, said that parties in a tender process cannot lawfully discuss who is bidding for what, or at what price. He told the jury that there was a “degree of coordination” between the parties so that tender prices would end up higher than they would be in a genuinely competitive process.
Mr McGinn explained that competition law exists to protect consumers and taxpayers by ensuring value for money and preventing manipulation of markets. He told the jury that: “Agreements or understandings not to charge below a certain amount, amounted to price fixing and provided no benefit to consumers. Market sharing”, where competitors agree among themselves to allocate specific areas or routes so that there is effectively only one provider, is also prohibited. Any manipulation of that or distortion of that is unfair to us,” he said, noting that, as this case concerns public contracts, the people ultimately affected are taxpayers.
Mr McGinn said the alleged conduct did not require a formal written agreement, but involved collusion, an exchange of information and coordination that led to “the disappearance of competition” in the relevant tenders.
He told the jury that the case was not about the importance of school transport for children in Tipperary, nor about the fact that the accused men are approaching retirement and are alleged to have committed the offences late in their careers. Rather, he said, the case concerns whether the five men, and possibly others, attempted to “load the dice” to distort competition in the school transport market.
All five accused have pleaded not guilty. The trial continues today, Thursday, before Mr Justice David Keane and a jury of seven men and four women.
The public are being asked to exercise caution as Met Éireann has issued a series of Status Yellow weather warnings impacting County Tipperary over the coming days.
A Status Yellow rain warning has been issued for Tipperary, along with counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, from tomorrow night (Monday) until Tuesday morning.
Above picture shows flooding on Liberty Square outside Tesco. Thurles Municipal District Officials are being invited to examine blocked drains outside Tesco, on Liberty Square and McCabes Pharmacy, latter regularly prone to flooding on the junction of Kickham Street and Cathedral Street.
Heavy rain falling on already saturated ground is expected to bring: Localised flooding in parts of Tipperary. Difficult and hazardous travel conditions. Possible disruption to outdoor events.
In addition, a Status Yellow wind warning for the entire country, including Tipperary, will be in place from 3:00am until 9:00pm on Tuesday. Very strong and gusty southerly winds are forecast leading to debris and loose objects being displaced, while further impacting on outdoor events and other activities.
Public Advice for Tipperary Residents and Road Users Residents in Tipperary are urged to: Allow extra time for journeys and avoid driving through floodwaters. Secure bins, garden furniture, signage and other loose objects that could be lifted or blown about by strong winds. Take particular care on roads prone to surface water and spot flooding. Heed all local authority, Garda and emergency service advice.
Members of the public are encouraged to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings from Met Éireann and to follow updates.
Thurles Bypass confirmed in the updated NDP today, a major step forward.
Major Step Forward as Project Enters Pre-Approval Stage Under Government’s Updated Framework.
Now classed as a priority project, it will advance through design & planning, with a push to be construction-ready by 2030.
The long-awaited Thurles Outer Bypass has been formally included in the revised National Development Plan (NDP), announced today, November 26th, 2025. The confirmation marks a significant milestone for the town of Thurles and the wider mid-Tipperary region, placing the long-discussed project back onto the national agenda and ensuring it will now advance through the required planning and design phases.
Damage caused on a regular basis by heavy goods vehicles. Pic: G. Willoughby.
Project Confirmed Under Appendix A of the National Development Plan. According to today’s announcement, the Thurles Bypass is listed within Appendix A of the NDP and designated to progress through the Pre-Approval / Gateway 1 stage. However, this represents only the first formal step in the Government’s project-delivery process, enabling detailed assessment, updated design work, and the preparation of a preliminary business case. The scheme is viewed as essential to addressing long-standing congestion and safety concerns, as well as supporting the town’s commercial and residential development.
Damage caused on a regular basis by heavy goods vehicles. Pic: G. Willoughby.
Associated Road Projects Also Advancing. Today’s publication confirms that the Thurles Bypass will sit alongside other significant transport projects for the area, including:
Thurles Inner Relief Road.
Local realignment schemes intended to improve connectivity and traffic flow.
Additional regional investments aimed at strengthening transport infrastructure across County Tipperary.
These projects combined form an integrated approach to improving mobility, safety, and economic prospects for Thurles town and surrounding areas.
Next Steps: Planning, Design and Approvals: While the Thurles bypass’s inclusion in the NDP does not indicate an immediate start to construction, it does secure its place within the Government’s investment programme through to 2030. The project will now move into:
Updated design and engineering work.
Preparation of statutory documents.
Preliminary business case development.
Environmental and route-corridor assessments.
Progression through further Government approval gates.
List of Strategic Regional Road Projects Scheduled to Commence Construction by 2030.
Project.
Sponsoring Agency.
Current Stage of Project Lifecycle.
Next Approval Gate.
Procurement Timeline.
Construction Timeline.
Successful Tenderer.
Cost Range.
Thurles Inner Relief Road.
Tipperary County Council
Final Business Case
AG1
Procurement by 2026
Commence by 2027
Not yet awarded
€10m- €20m
Appendix A. Thurles Bypass.
Various
Pre-AG1
AG1
?
?
?
?
See table above: “There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip.”King Ancaeus of Samos.
It is now important, unlike in the past, that local representatives, at all levels, emphasise their intention to push for tangible, measurable progress on this project, so that the scheme can be construction-ready by 2030.
A Long-Awaited Boost for Thurles. The bypass is widely regarded as a crucial infrastructure project for Thurles. Heavy traffic, including a high volume of HGVs, currently passes through the town centre, particularly in Liberty Square where national routes intersect. Business groups, residents, and community organisations have repeatedly highlighted the impact on safety, air quality, congestion, and commercial activity.
Today’s confirmation is seen as the first real movement on the project in many years, following earlier plans which stalled during the economic downturn.
A trial at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court has heard that senior gardaí have the authority to cancel Fixed Charge Penalty Notices (FCPNs) in specific circumstances.
Four serving gardaí and a retired superintendent, Mr Edmund “Eamon” O’Neill, Sergeants Ms Michelle Leahy and Ms Anne-Marie Hassett, and Gardaí Mr Tom McGlinchey and Mr Colm Geary, have pleaded not guilty to 39 counts of allegedly engaging in conduct “tending and intending to pervert the course of justice”. The charges arise from a Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) inquiry into alleged interventions in potential or pending road traffic prosecutions.
Prosecution witness Sgt Mr Kevin McCahey, formerly of the FCPN Enforcement Unit in Thurles, testified that he routinely followed instructions during garda investigations and saw nothing improper in GNBCI requests for FCPN information. Under questioning, he said it was not unusual for members of the public to seek advice from local gardaí after receiving a notice, but added he would recuse himself from handling a query involving someone he personally knew due to a “perceived conflict of interest”. He stated he would refuse any “improper instructions”, including a request to alter a notice.
Superintendent Ms Blaithin Moran of the Garda Roads Policing Bureau told the court she regularly worked with the FCPN Cancelling Authority in Thurles, where she had legitimately cancelled notices in exceptional cases, such as emergency responses by medical professionals or incidents involving sudden death. She said travelling to routine medical appointments or funerals would not qualify. Discretion, she noted, is applied “on a case-by-case basis”.
The case, before Judge Mr Roderick Maguire and a jury of 12, is expected to run until Christmas.
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