Roads « Thurles Information

Backlog In Issuing Drivers Licences in Tipperary

It would appear that the failure to repair craters in our road structure is’nt the only problem haunting North Tipperary County Council presently. Serious concern have now been expressed over the two month backlog in issuing driving licences by the said same County Council.

This issue may well result in those caught up in this delay, incurring penalty points and a hefty fine as a result.

North Tipperary County Council’s Customer Action Plan 2005 – 2009 states that you may apply for a new drivers licence or to renew your licence through the post or by calling to the Motor Taxation Section in Nenagh. On receipt of the completed drivers licence application, the section aim to issue you with your licence within three working days.

While this may be the aim of the said County Council the reality of the situation is far from the stated target.

North Tipperary TD Deputy Noel Coonan stated:

“The Council is currently processing applications for mid January and is endeavouring to address the arrears as soon as possible. People deserve a more efficient service from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government which governs County Councils. Applicants should not to be left without a valid drivers licence through no fault of their own. Constituents are frustrated with waiting times as they try to comply with policing laws, which require persons to be in possession of a driving licence when driving.
I’ve been in contact with the Council to assess the problem, seek a solution and offer any help I can give. Officials informed me that there is currently a backlog in the motor tax section in connection with the issuing of driving licences and this has arisen since last November.
The Head of Finance has informed me that in normal circumstances the staffing levels should be able to deal with the level of transactions in the section but due to circumstances outside of the Council’s control arrears have built up. The Council has recently allocated additional staff to address the arrears. It is also intended to re-assign additional staff to Motor Tax and Council management is seeking clarification from a Trade Union with regard to this proposal.
I welcome this response from Liam McCarthy, Head of Finance and Corporate Services in North Tipperary County Council and the steps he is taking to help the situation. Staff working in Motor Taxation are undoubtedly working as usual to the best of their ability but hindered by inefficient Government policies that continues to fail the people of North Tipperary.
I’m calling on Minister John Gormley to introduce efficiencies into local government to ensure the public gets the service it is entitled to.” Deputy Coonan concluded.

North Tipperary County Council’s Customer Action Plan 2005 – 2009 further states: We strive to continually improve the services we provide to the public and would welcome any comments or observations from our customers which can be submitted via e-mail to countysecretary@northtippcoco.ie or in writing to Corporate Services Section, North Tipperary County Council, Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh.

The Forgotten Roads Of North Tipperary

Although some senior Government Ministers are staying at home, this coming St. Patrick’s Day, 23 key Government figures are flying to locations around the world to meet with key business and political figures to sell our wares.

We are told that these Government Ministers are using St Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to promote Ireland to locations around the world.

We understand that the Minister for Transport Mr Noel Dempsey will be in Toronto, Canada this St Patrick’s Day, to attend the Ireland Fund’s St Patrick’s day lunch with 1,000 business and political decision makers, meeting clients and their customers at an Enterprise Ireland business breakfast. It would appear, however, that Mr Dempsey’s “Ministerial Mercedes”, not to mention the vehicles of local TD’s, Local and County Councillors have not driven on the road from Templetuohy to Johnstown in the past three years.

The video hereunder demonstrates the current state of the road presently tolerated and shared by residents and those trying to transact their everyday business in and around Thurles, Templetuohy and the Moyne areas of Co.Tipperary.

Tipperary’s Rural Roads Are Deteriorating from George Willoughby.

We now ask a simple question “Minister, with the greatest respect, how do you promote a country with a secondary road structure familiar, only, to a fourth world State”

While in daylight this road surface is visible, some night soon some unfamiliar stranger to this area is going to loose their life.

Drop Of €5million For North Tipperary Roads

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey recently announced the investment of some €411.408m in the regional and local roads network for 2010 with priority being given to repairing roads damaged by floods and freezing conditions.

Minister Dempsey said in allocating the money his priority had been “to address the most urgently required repairs resulting from the extensive damage caused by the recent severe weather,” estimated by County Councils to total €180m.

The minister said he had also simplified the grants structure and given more flexibility to local authorities to decide how the funds are spent.

Deputy Noel Coonan

North Tipperary Deputy Noel Coonan said this year’s road grant allocation is almost €5 million less than North Tipperary received in 2009 and falls very short of what is needed to repair the ‘Beirut Blitz’ on our roads throughout the constituency. Deputy Coonan said we have two North Tipperary Government Deputies patting themselves on the back yet again over a job, badly done.

The Regional and Local Road Grant Allocations to Tipperary North (County and Town councils) for 2010 are €11,807,118. The figure for last year was €16,239,338. This is a decrease in funding of almost €5million for the coming year.

Deputy Coonan said:

“While this funding is welcome it is not remotely adequate and we have Government Deputies Lowry andHoctor patting themselves on the back for this allocation which is nowhere near enough to repair the extensive damage from flooding before Christmas and frost after Christmas.

North Tipperary County Council has been operating with its hands tied behind its back waiting for this response, especially following the very bad weather we received. The roads are in an outrageous state in some areas which is a clear example of a totally indecisive Government that has failed to take rapid and immediate action. It lacks the confidence and ability to do so. People are suffering damage to their cars on a daily basis. The €139,000 allocated to Templemore Town Councils is a meager amount in comparison to the €204,000 it received last year for regional and local road maintenance.

Both Nenagh Town Council and Thurles Town Council received €287,000 in 2009 but this has fallen sharply to €195,000 for this year. The Department of Transport should be providing extra funding to rehabilitate the dire state of our roads at the moment but instead has provided an even lesser amount this year. Minister Noel Dempsey said these grants represent a significant investment at a time when public finances are under pressure but it is this Government that has created such pressure and I fear this slashing in funding will impact on safety levels on our local network of roads.”

Further Committment Of €2.6million For Traffic Bound Thurles

North Tipperary Independent Deputy Michael Lowry has confirmed that he has held discussions with Transport Minister Noel Dempsey and the latter has confirmed his commitment to providing some €2.6 million, in relation to the completion of the Thurles link road.
This funding will see the link between the Templemore and Nenagh roads completed before the end of 2010.

This link road will includes the building of a €2.2 million bridge over the main Dublin-Cork railway line, which has been, supposedly, the major stumbling block to the continued progress of this long drawn out project. Construction came to a sudden stop in October last with the road footprint having been carved out.
Deputy Lowry has stated:

“I have been in discussion with Minister Noel Dempsey on this congestion issue and arising from these talks I have gotten a commitment that the link road will be completed before the end of the year. Monies are being provided to finish the road and the engineers and design team have now agreed on the necessary requirement for the bridge. This will be a very significant piece of infrastructure for the area.”

When this long overdue road is completed, it will be the first step in alleviating heavy traffic congestion coming from the north of the county, which together with a poorly designed and badly flawed traffic calming system, presently brings Thurles to a standstill between the hours 8.30am – 9.30am and between 3.30 pm – 6.00 pm.

Presently, from a health and safety view point, both Fire, Doctor and Ambulance services are now being greatly hindered in their efforts to answer 999 emergency calls, particularly on the Dublin road, through Cathedral street and Kickham street, due to clogged motorists unable to mount high footpaths to give a clear way to these essential services.
One angry frustrated motorist informed us this week:-

“Elderly cyclists who pay no road taxes, now decide the speed of traffic in Thurles, since they cannot be overtaken by motorists, due to the recent traffic calming measures introduced. These so called calming measures have had quiet the opposite effect to calming, with motorists forced to take unnecessary risks while becoming enraged and discourteous in their everyday driving habits within the town. We continue to elect Maurice Hickey type, self serving, headline gathering town and county representatives, with little or no business acumen or qualifications, to service our town and county’s need and what we elect is what we get.” he continued.

Once daily shoppers from the villages of Two Mile Borris, Moyne, Templetuohy, Holycross, Glengoole etc. have now taken their daily shopping trips to nearby Cashel, because of the long delays in Thurles traffic. Supermarkets on the outskirts of the town who offer free car parking, continue to do reasonable business at the expense of the now strangled town centre. Some local commuters and centre town businesses are now privately calling for a blockade of the town in order to highlight this ever growing problem.

Motorists Advised To Drive With Caution

In Tipperary, motorists, particularly around Thurles, are being warned to be especially careful.

Road temperatures continue to drop and snow is falling in many parts of the country. Conditions on secondary and minor roads are treacherous. Drive with extreme care and remember gentle maneuvers are the key to safe driving.

Motorists are experiencing very icy road conditions on the N7 between Moneygall and Nenagh, and extremely icy conditions also exists on the bridge at Fiddown, connecting the N24 Carrick-on-Suir Rd and the Portlaw Rd (R680).

Motorists are advised, during this expected week long cold spell, to drive with extreme care coming up to Christmas.

Remember, the life you loose may not be your own.