Thurles Information

Thurles Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Sean Ryan, (Thurles, Municipal District Council) together with Fianna Fáil T.D. Mr Jackie Cahill, both regrettably failed to raise objections in relation to the destruction of the 176 year old piece of Great Famine heritage, now destroyed in its entirety, at Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Despite both being advised as to its historical importance, both elected public representatives through their deliberate silence, joined their fellow colleagues, (Fianna Fáil Cllr. Mr Seamus Hanafin, and Independent Councillor Mr Jim Ryan), to ensure the total eradication of this Mass path; Right-Of Way; and Great Famine artifact.

However, in the past, Councillor Mr Sean Ryan and Mr Jackie Cahill T.D., it would appear, have perhaps colluded to object to one other planning application in the past, which had been initially submitted by Starrus Eco Holdings.
[Note: latter company set up on Wednesday May, 15th 2013, with registered offices at Panda Waste Management’s Solution, Ballymount Road Upper, Dublin].

We do not wish to comment on the merits or otherwise of Starrus Eco Holdings actual planning application.

However, we are mystified by the objection submissions made by both Cllr Mr Sean Ryan [sent on June 30th, 2020] and Deputy Jackie Cahill T.D. [sent three days later on July 3rd, 2020].

All Planning Application details ref: 20550 Tipperary County Council, can be viewed HERE.

See both planning objections which were submitted, hereunder.

We sent a query to Cllr. Sean Ryan initially on Saturday, October 2nd 2021, @ 3:22pm, regarding this matter. As expected, Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan chose to once again, remain silent.

Before reading further, note first, the 2020 Irish general election took place on Saturday, February 8th, to elect the 33rd Dáil Éireann T.D. membership. This election was called following the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil by the Irish President, Mr M.D. Higgins, at the request of the then Taoiseach, Mr Leo Varadkar, on January 14th 2020.

Both planning objections were lodged with Tipperary Co. Council after the General election of Saturday, February 8th.

With this knowledge shown above, in the interests of openness and transparency, a series of questions must now be publicly asked and more importantly answered, in writing.

(1) Why are T.D’s and Councillors, on high salaries exempt from paying planning fees, when persons earning minimum wages and those unemployed, must pay fees to their Local Authority, in the event of a planning appeal?

(2) When and where did Mr Jackie Cahill T.D. reside in Littleton, in July 2020?

(3) Why does Mr Jackie Cahill, T.D. call himself a “Councillor”, when in fact he was a “T.D.” on July 2nd 2020?

(4) Has Mr Jackie Cahill T.D completed the annual register of interests, which must be completed by all Oireachtas members, [Latter was introduced under the 1995 Ethics in Public Office Act, and include directorships in private sector companies; rental income from property and farming ], in relation to property owned or rented by him in Littleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary?

(5) Ten other persons objected to this planning submission, but only two public elected representatives, (both Fianna Fáil), namely Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan and T.D Mr Jackie Cahill, raised objections.,
Did Cllr. Mr Sean Ryan collude by giving / sending a copy of his objection to be copied / scanned by T.D Mr Jackie Cahill, same which was then forwarded (pasted & copied) to the County Tipperary planning office, without the necessary due care and attention to detail, by his staff?

(6) With this information contained in T.D. Mr Jackie Cahill’s planning objection incorrect, and sent by Mr Jackie Cahill T.D’s. office, why was same accepted, stamped and acknowledged by Tipperary Co. Council’s planning officials, knowing it to be incorrect?

(7) Was any other Waste Recycling plant within the Tipperary region, with known connections to the Fianna Fáil party, involved in this collusion / objection to this requested planning permission?

Perhaps one or both named elected representatives might like to answer our queries raised herewith, so that same can be published for the benefit of the local electorate.

A 20 cent levy on disposable coffee cups is expected to come in to effect later this year according to Junior Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication, Mr Ossian Smyth.

Mr Smyth confirmed this morning that the Circular Economy Bill 2021, will lay out the necessary legislative basis for the levy, aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating an estimated 200 million cups that are thrown into landfill each year.

Mr Smyth has stated that the aim is not to raise money from the levy, but to change the habits of consumers. The Bill hopefully, which has already been approved by Cabinet, will now make Ireland the first country in the world to eliminate the use of disposable coffee cups.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has said it has some concerns about the proposal and is anxious to know more.

Continuing on the topic of littering;
Mr Smyth has confirmed that local authorities will soon be empowered to use CCTV footage to bring prosecutions in relation to those persons found fly tipping.
Local authorities have in the past attempted to collect the evidence required to convict people and have found that they run up against current privacy and data protection issues.

Such required regulations are regarded as being long overdue.