The single largest category was for elected councillor’s basic salaries, which amounted €1,178,607.91 for the year 2024. The Annual allowance, made up €264,162.49 of the annual total, followed by a Local Representative Allowance (LRA), totalling €105,519.26, latter a vouched allowance for expenses incurred while carrying out the duty of being a local representative. The highest Tipperary earner for 2024 was Fine Gael’s Declan Burgess, who took home €59,114.09 for that year. His basic salary was set at €29,755.58, then there was the annual allowance of €5,720.16, and his LRA amounting to €2,557.58.
On Monday last, August 18th, the Cork Examiner Newspaper highlighted a story which concerned a Fianna Fáil junior minister. He, Mr Christopher O’Sullivan [Now Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage since January 2025 and a Teachta Dála for the Cork South-West constituency since the 2020 general election], claimed he had broken no rules by accepting €30,000 in payments from Cork County Council. His payment came during a year in which he admits to spending six months travelling in South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Mr Christopher O’Sullivan TD, who was appointed a Minister of State in January, was, in 2008, serving as a Cork County Councillor, when he went on his travels, same undertaken the year after he was co-opted onto the council to replace his father.
Mr O’Sullivan said all payments he received; including his allowances and expenses, were in full compliance with the law. He stated that any allowances or payments during 2008 were in full compliance with the laws and regulations then in force, including the Local Government Act 2001 and his absence, while travelling, were taken in a continuous period of six consecutive months, same provided for under Section 18(4)(a) of the Local Government Act, 2001.
Section 18(4)(a) of the Irish Local Government Act 2001 states“A person shall be deemed to have resigned from membership of a local authority where the person is absent from attendance at any meeting of the authority for a continuous period of 6 consecutive months (“the relevant period”) from the date (“the relevant date”) of his or her last attendance at a meeting of the authority.” Section 18(4)(b) states “paragraph (a) does not apply where the absence was (i) due to illness, or (ii) in good faith for another reason, and which, in either case, is accepted by the local authority and approved by resolution under this paragraph, before the end of the relevant period, in which case the period shall stand extended to 12 months from the relevant date.”
According to the Cork Examiner, Cork Co. Council records show Mr O’Sullivan TD had the lowest attendance rate of all councillors in 2008, attending only 26 out of 70 meetings and despite this, he claimed travel expenses of €4,083; monthly allowances of €8,985, and a Representational payment of €17,179. While his attendance stood at just 37%, Mr O’Sullivan TD also claimed more in 2008 than four other fellow councillors who all had higher attendance records.
It appears that the Irish electorate has lost all control of taxpayer funding.
Pre-deceased by his parents John and Mary, his sister Sr. Maureen and his brother-in-law Con Gleeson; the passing of Fr. John is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving brother Michael, sister Rita Gleeson (Killoskehane), nephews John and Neil Gleeson, nieces Mary Bourke and Majella O’Brien, grand nephews and grand nieces, extended relatives, the Pallottine Community, neighbours and many great friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Fr. John will repose at the Pallottine College, Kickham Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, (Eircode E41 A271) on tomorrow afternoon, Sunday August 24th, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, before being received into the nearby Pallottine Chapel on same evening. Funeral Mass for Fr. John will be offered on Monday August 25th at 12:00 noon, followed by interment immediately afterwards, in the Pallottine Cemetery, Cabra, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Fr. John, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Fitzpatrick family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
In her 93rd year and pre-deceased by her beloved husband Willie and daughter Oonagh: Mrs O’Dwyer passed away peacefully at her place of ordinary residence.
Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; loving daughters Maria, Cait, Patricia, Sheila and Ailish, son William, daughter-in-law Marie, sons-in-law Dickie and Joe, adored grandchildren Oliver, Darragh, Henry, Conan, Evan and Clara, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended relatives, neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mrs O’Dwyer will repose at Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Home, Slievenamon Road, Thurles on Sunday afternoon, August 24th, from 4:00pm until 7:00pm same evening. Her remains will be received into the Church of Our Lady and St Kevin, Littleton, Thurles, on Monday morning, August 25th, to further repose for Requiem Mass at 11:30am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards in the adjoining graveyard.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mrs O’Dwyer, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended O’Dwyer family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Note Please: Donations in lieu of flowers to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in memory of Mrs Kitty O’Dwyer (née Dwyer).
Minister for Justice Mr Jim O’Callaghan welcomes attestation of 154 new Gardaí.
Attestation of new Gardaí are commended for their commitment to public service.
154 Gardaí – 32 women and 122 men – will now be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country.
New class of 201 Garda recruits to enter the Garda College next week.
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Mr Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the attestation of 154 new Gardaí, from 26 different countries, at a ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary today. Five who were due to graduate today were suspended and are being investigated for alleged bullying after another recruit was attacked and handcuffed in the showers. The oldest is a 50-year-old League of Ireland referee from Co Tyrone, Mr Michael Connolly, and the youngest is 19-year-old Ms Hannah Egan who did her Leaving Cert just two years ago.
Speaking at the Garda College, Minister O’Callaghan stated: “We are fortunate in this country that every community wants to see more Gardaí visible in their area. It is one of the most effective measures we have for preventing crime and making people feel safer. Attitudes and approaches to policing must continue to adapt to the world we live in. However, what it means to be a Garda remains the same. Our new Gardaí have made a commitment to public service and to keeping people in their communities safe. I want to thank them for making that commitment and wish them the very best as they begin their careers with An Garda Síochána.”
Of the 154 attesting today, 122 are men and 32 are women and of today’s graduation class, 66 gardaí are to be assigned to the south of the country, including 20 to Cork city.
The new probationer Gardaí will now begin their careers in An Garda Síochána and will be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country by the Garda Commissioner Mr Drew Harris.
This will be the largest allocation of probationer Gardaí to Regions outside of Dublin in the past year, with the majority being assigned to communities in the South and Northwest. 45 of the new Gardaí will be deployed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, with 66 going to the Southern Region, including 20 Probationer Gardaí each for stations in Limerick City and Cork City respectively.
Minister O’Callaghan added: “I am also extremely pleased that a new class of 201 Garda recruits will enter the Garda College next week to begin their training. An increased and visible Garda presence is central to the government’s aim to build safe and secure communities. The high number of applications for recent Garda recruitment campaigns is evidence of the strong interest that there is to join and serve in An Garda Síochána. Ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs is a key priority for me. I look forward to working with the new Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to further strengthen An Garda Síochána so that it is well placed to deal with the challenges ahead, as per our commitment in the Programme for Government. I also want to take this opportunity today on his last attestation before he retires on September 1st, to once again thank outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for his hard work, commitment and dedication over the past seven years. He has implemented some of the widest ranging reforms of the organisation in its history and leaves a legacy of tangible improvements”.
The strength of An Garda Síochána now stands at 14,408 sworn officers and Commissioner Harris today presided over his last graduation as Garda Commissioner before newly appointed Mr Justin Kelly takes over officially on September 1st next.
Mr Connolly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, while in the care of staff at the Community Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles and Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, South Tipperary..
His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; devoted and loving wife Mary (née Heffernan), daughters Maria and Joanne, sons Thomas and Tony, grandchildren Chloe, Mary-Kate, Sarah, Julieann, Lily, Emma, Ava, Ted, Lucy and Charlie, son-in-law Emmet, daughters-in-law Eimear and Susan, sisters Mai and Ann, brothers John, Thomas, Bob, Liam and Anthony, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, extended relatives, former colleagues of Thurles Sugar Factory, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mr Connolly, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended Connolly and Heffernan families wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
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