Tipperary received only €251,000 of the €653,000 requested in 2026 for national road maintenance, per Fine Gael TD Mr Joe Cooney.
Tipperary received just 38.4% of the amount sought in 2026.
Fine Gael TD Mr Joe Cooney
Fine Gael TD Mr Joe Cooney has asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland(TII) to explain the criteria used to allocate funding for national road maintenance, upgrades, and safety schemes, questioning why some local authorities receive full funding while others secure substantially less. The Clare TD said he wanted to know why seemingly similar projects in different counties could have very different funding outcomes, despite local authorities having costed the works they proposed.
His request follows a parliamentary question on project proposals submitted to TII for national road maintenance, upgrades and safety schemes in 2025 and 2026. The figures show that local authorities requested €7.44 million in 2026, of which €5.78 million had been allocated. This leaves a shortfall of approximately €1.66 million between the amounts sought and the funding allocated to date.
Seven local authorities received 100% of the funding sought in both years: Cavan, Donegal, Galway County, Leitrim, LimerickCity and Counties Mayo and Sligo. However, the funding outcomes varied considerably elsewhere. Tipperary received only €251,000 of the €653,000 requested in 2026, while Cork County Council received €565,793 of €1.25 million sought. Westmeath received €104,300 of the €232,625 requested. In 2025, Westmeath received no funding from €150,290 sought, while Louth received just €2,554 of its €26,554 request.
Deputy Cooney said the differences raised questions about how applications were assessed and whether necessary works could be completed to the required standard when only part of the requested funding was approved. “Given the importance of our national roads, why are some projects receiving full funding while seemingly very similar projects in other counties are only receiving partial funding?” he asked. “What are the criteria for funding these projects, and why are applications for what appear to be very similar works having such different outcomes?”
Date Submitted.
Ref. No.
Title.
Category.
Requested Amount.
Area.
17/02/2025.
9797
N52 Gaulross Pavement Repair.
Minor Pavement Maintenance.
€24,500.
Tipperary County Council.
17/02/2025.
9798
N52 Carrig Pedestrian Crossing Upgrade.
Signs/Lines.
€28,000.
Tipperary County Council.
07/02/2025.
9746
Killough Bridge N62.
Minor Pavement Maintenance.
€30,000.
Tipperary County Council.
07/02/2025.
9747
Parnell Street Thurles.
Minor Pavement Maintenance.
€50,000.
Tipperary County Council.
07/02/2025.
9745
Church Street Templemore.
Minor Pavement Maintenance.
€25,000.
Tipperary County Council.
31/01/2025.
9751
Slievenamon Road, Thurles.
Minor Pavement Maintenance.
€45,000.
Tipperary County Council.
Deputy Cooney said local authorities prepared their funding requests based on the works they considered necessary and the associated costs. He questioned whether partial allocations could leave councils in a position where urgently required works were only partly completed. “We need to establish whether we are putting ourselves in a situation where works that are urgently required are only being partially completed because the full funding requested has not been made available,” he said. He argued that funding fully the projects would help ensure longer-term improvements were completed rather than relying on interim repairs. “For the sake of providing the additional €1.6 million requested in 2026, we could be future proofing the sections of road in question and ensuring that the necessary upgrades are completed,” he said.
The overall allocation for 2026 is substantially higher than in 2025. Funding rose from €2.57 million to €5.78 million, while the amount requested increased from €4.03 million to €7.44 million. The proportion of funding allocated against the amounts requested also increased, from 63.7 per cent in 2025 to 77.7 per cent in 2026. However, the figures show that the proportion of requests met differed significantly between authorities. Tipperary received just 38.4% of the amount sought in 2026.
Deputy Cooney said he had asked TII to clarify the basis for its decisions and explain how it ensured that funding was allocated consistently to local authorities responsible for maintaining the national road network. “We need to remove the barriers that are slowing transition. That means making it easier to electrify industry, developing a viable indigenous biomethane sector and ensuring that lower-carbon technologies are not left waiting years for approval. There is enormous untapped potential in the circular economy. Ireland cannot be satisfied with having the second-lowest circularity rate in the EU. Reducing waste and making better use of the materials and resources already available to us can cut emissions, reduce our reliance on raw materials and build a more resilient economy.” he concluded.
Climate Change Advisory Council warns that government measures are not enough to prevent industrial emissions rising again.
Industry is projected to be Ireland’s second worst-performing sector after transport, with emissions set to rise again between now and 2030
Ireland is significantly off track on biomethane production, while delays in approving low-carbon cement technologies are holding back progress.
Ireland generated 16.7 million tonnes of waste in 2024, while 37% of municipal waste was exported for final treatment highlighting significant gaps in Ireland’s ability to manage its own waste.
Ireland has the second-lowest circularity rate in the EU.
Ms Jillian Mahon. (Climate Change Advisory Council).
Launching the Industry and Waste chapter of its Annual Review 2026 today, the Climate Change Advisory Council has warned that much stronger Government action is needed to reduce industrial emissions, which are projected to rise again over the coming years.
The Council said that while industrial emissions have fallen for four consecutive years and are now 15.9% below 2018 levels, emissions from this sector are now expected to stagnate until 2030. Industry has already provisionally exceeded its emissions ceiling for 2021–2025 by 9.1% and is projected to be the second worst-performing sector after transport against its next emissions ceiling. By 2030, emissions are projected to be just 11.6% below 2018 levels, well short of the Government’s 35% reduction target.
The Council said it is particularly concerning that EPA projections show almost no difference between projected industrial emissions under existing Government measures and those including additional planned measures, demonstrating that there is an absence of clear additional Government measures to meet 2030 decarbonisation targets.
A key priority for the sector is electrification and fuel switching away from fossil fuels to renewables such as biomethane, which can provide a renewable energy for industrial processes that are difficult to electrify. However, Ireland remains significantly off track against its target to produce 5.7 TWh of biomethane by 2030. Just seven projects, worth €19 million, were approved under the first €40 million Biomethane Capital Grant Scheme.
With up to €200 million in further capital supports planned between 2026 and 2030, the Council says lessons must be learned from the first scheme. It is calling for the Renewable Heat Obligation to be finalised urgently, alongside a separate support scheme to accelerate indigenous bio-methane production.
The Council has also warned that a growing backlog in the approval of low-carbon cement and concrete technologies is holding back emissions reductions in the sector. Some proposed solutions have been awaiting decisions from the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s Concrete Committee for several years.
The Review also finds that Ireland’s progress towards a circular economy is stalling. Ireland generated 16.7 million tonnes of waste in 2024 – around 8.5kg per person every day – with annual waste generation increasing by more than 20% over the past decade. A significant reduction in the generation of waste is required to meet Ireland’s EU commitments, supported by increased recycling rates and spending on new circular economy infrastructure. More than a third (37%) of municipal waste was exported for final treatment, highlighting significant gaps in Ireland’s ability to manage its own waste.
Ireland’s circularity rate – a measure of how much material is recycled back into the economy – was just 2% in 2024, the second lowest in the EU and significantly below the EU average of 12.2%. The municipal recycling rate has also remained largely unchanged over the past decade and Ireland will miss the EU target to recycle 55% of municipal waste.
The Council is calling on the Government to use Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU to provide greater leadership on the circular economy. The
Government should translate this into decisive national action and accelerate the delivery of the Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026–2028.
Ms Jillian Mahon, Member of the Climate Change Advisory Council, said:“Industry has made real progress in reducing emissions in recent years, but we cannot assume that progress will continue. The projections are a clear warning that the measures currently planned are not enough to deliver the change needed by the end of this decade.“
Irish journalist, literary editor, and drama criticMr Fintan O’Toole.
The fifth annual “Circling The Square”, Poetry and Music Festival gets underway in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, this coming Friday evening, 16th October 2026, at 6:30pm.
The much-anticipated three-day festival, running from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th October, promises yet another wonderful celebration of poetry, literature and live music in the heart of Thurles Town.
Established to honour the life and literary legacy of the late Thurles poet and critic Dennis O’Driscoll(1954–2012), the festival has grown into one of Ireland’s most highly regarded literary gatherings, attracting acclaimed poets, writers and musicians.
Saturday’s programme continues at The Source Arts Centre, Cathedral Street, Thurles, (Eircode E41 A4E8), featuring an impressive line-up of poets and musicians, together with a special discussion entitled Fieldwork: ‘The Public Life of Seamus Heaney‘, involving Mr Fintan O’Toole, (Latter biographer of Seamus Heaney), Mr Mick Heaney(Latter son of poet Seamus Heaney), and Mr Declan O’Driscoll(Latter brother of the late poet Dennis O’Driscoll).
This will be followed by readings from poets Maija Mäkelä, Adam Wyeth, Katie Donovan, Stephen Sexton and Catriona O’Reilly, plus music by classical flautist Emma Roche.
With a rich combination of poetry, music and warm Tipperary hospitality, “Circling The Square” promises to be yet another memorable cultural occasion for Thurles and its environs. Everyone is warmly invited to support this wonderful celebration of literature and the arts in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Further information and ticket details for Saturday’s events are available HERE – {Tel- 0504 90204}
Recall of Centra Inspired By & SuperValu Smoked Salmon products due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
Alert Summary dated Wednesday, October 14th 2026.
Category 1: For Action. Alert Notification: 2026.66. Product Identification: Please see table below. Batch Code: Please see table below. Country Of Origin: Ireland.
Message: The below batches of Centra and Supervalu Smoked Salmon products are being recalled due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
SuperValue Signature Taste Dill and Black Pepper Smoked Salmon.
100g.
04/11/2026.
Inspired By Centra Applewood Smoked Salmon. .
80g.
31/10/2026.
Nature Of Danger: In healthy people, symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. However, in people who are more vulnerable, the infection can be severe and can lead to serious complications. People who are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections include pregnant women, infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. The incubation period, the time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing, is on average 3 weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days.
Action Required:Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers: Retailers: Same are requested to remove the implicated batch from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers/Distributors: Same are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated batch and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers. Consumers: Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batch.
The historic Cathedral of the Assumption here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary will take centre stage on this Sunday, October 18th 2026, when the 11:00am Mass is scheduled to be broadcast live on RTÉ One, to mark the centenary of World Mission Sunday. Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, will be the chief celebrant for this special occasion, which brings together the local faith community and viewers throughout Ireland. This year’s World Mission Sunday theme is “One in Christ, United in Mission”, reflecting the universal Church’s shared commitment to faith, solidarity and missionary service.
Archbishop Will Recall His Own Missionary Experience. The occasion has particular personal significance for Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA, who reflects on his own experience as a missionary priest. Following his ordination on 17th June 1978, he travelled to Liberia in West Africa, where he served in the Archdiocese of Monrovia from 1978 to 1980. During those formative years, he lived and worked among the communities he served, sharing in their daily lives, their faith and their experiences. His time in Liberia formed an important part of his missionary journey and was followed by further missionary service in Nigeria, where he taught Sacred Scripture at the major seminary in Ibadan.
Supporting Missionaries Across the World. World Mission Sunday is Pope Leo XIV’s annual appeal for spiritual and financial support for missionaries and the communities they serve around the world. The annual collection, held at Masses throughout Ireland and the universal Church, supports developing dioceses in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Funds raised contribute towards essential infrastructure, including churches, medical clinics, nurseries and schools, as well as supporting education, healthcare and the training of future religious leaders. Ireland’s 2025 World Mission Sunday collection has been reported at approximately €1.3 million.
Cathedral Preparing for Its 150th Anniversary in 2029. The televised Mass also comes at an important time for Thurles Cathedral, which is preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2029. An ongoing fundraising campaign is seeking to raise €2.5 million for a new Cathedral roof, a major restoration project intended to preserve this important landmark for future generations. The appeal, entitled “In Our Hands – Preserving Our Cathedral”, highlights the responsibility of the local community and supporters to protect the Cathedral’s architectural and spiritual heritage.
Next Sunday’s national broadcast will be an opportunity not only to celebrate the worldwide missionary tradition of the Church but also to showcase Thurles Cathedral and its place at the heart of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.
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