Thurles Information

Food Alerts

Incorrectly declared milk and choking risk in Strong Branded Mini Jelly cup products.

Alert Summary Dated Friday, December 19th 2025.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2025.A48 and Alert Notification: 2025.73
Allergen: Milk
Product Identification: Strong branded mini jelly cups; pack size: 360g.
Batch Code: All batch codes and best before dates.

Message: Milk is not emphasised in the ingredients list of these Strong Branded Mini Jelly Cup products. This may make the batches unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of milk and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batches.
Strong Branded Mini Jelly Cup sweets are also being recalled as they may cause a choking risk, due to the presence of certain unauthorised gel-forming additives.

The affected batches are being recalled.

CareDoc-HSE Dispute Resolved Following Mediation.

CareDoc-HSE dispute resolved following mediation; out-of-hours services expected to return to normal across South Tipperary

The Department of Health has confirmed that the issues between CareDoc and the HSE, which were the subject of mediation on Thursday, 18 December 2025, have been resolved by agreement.

In a statement, the Minister for Health said the agreement “should create the conditions” for CareDoc, as the employer, to address staff concerns and make the appropriate remuneration payments, with the aim of bringing the current industrial action to an end. The Minister also noted the importance of these services for patients in the South East, including those relying on out-of-hours GP services and Community Intervention Teams.

Impact in South Tipperary.
The dispute had led to significant disruption to CareDoc operations across the region, including South Tipperary, with services such as GP out-of-hours and related supports impacted during the industrial action.
In South Tipperary, CareDoc operates treatment centres including Clonmel (The County Clinic, Western Road), Cashel (Cashel Health Centre, Lower Green) and Tipperary Town (St Vincent’s Hospital).

Service status and next steps.
Local reporting indicated that CareDoc out-of-hours GP services were due to resume as normal from 6:00pm following the stoppage, subject to confirmation locally.
Separately, it was reported that the INMO received a formal offer late on Thursday and that strike action was suspended at midnight, while noting that decisions on planned strike dates over the following fortnight were still pending clarification and member consultation.

Patient information (South Tipperary).
CareDoc’s GP out-of-hours service is by appointment only (no walk-in service). Patients are advised to contact the service via their GP’s out-of-hours message or the relevant CareDoc contact number, where calls are triaged by a nurse and patients are advised on next steps.
As always, in a medical emergency, patients should Tel: 112 or 999 or attend the nearest Emergency Department.

Sinn Féin Activist Among Three Held Following €4m Cocaine Seizure.

A Sinn Féin activist is reported to be among three people arrested following the seizure of an estimated €4 million worth of suspected cocaine during searches in the south east of the country.

Gardaí said the operation, involving the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Revenue Customs, took place on Wednesday, December 17th, as part of Operation Tara targeting organised crime groups.
A business premises in Co. Kildare and a residential address in Co. Wexford were both searched, with officers seizing 58kg of suspected cocaine valued at approximately €4.06 million (subject to analysis).

Two men aged in their 30s and 40s and a woman in her 40s were arrested. Gardaí said they were detained under provisions of the Criminal Justice Acts in connection with alleged facilitation of drug trafficking for an organised crime group.

The suspected drugs are to be sent to Forensic Science Ireland, and investigations are continuing.

Missing Tipperary Persons.

Gardaí in Tipperary Town are appealing for the public’s assistance in locating Julia Laskowska, aged 15 and Sadie Nally, aged 13, who were reported missing from Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary, on Thursday, 18th December 2025.

Julia Laskowska, pictured above, is described as approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, with brown hair and green eyes. At the time she went missing, Julia was wearing a long black puffy jacket, grey baggy jeans and a black hoodie. She was carrying a grey and black backpack and a shopping bag with “AMSTERDAM” displayed on the side.

Sadie Nally, also pictured above, is described as approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, with black hair featuring red streaks. She was last seen wearing a khaki-coloured fur hat, a grey and black fleece jumper, blue jeans and grey shoes. She was carrying a red backpack and a black backpack with flowers

Both individuals were last seen in Tipperary Town, yesterday afternoon, December 18th 2025, and are believed to be travelling together and may have taken the train to Dublin.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda Station Tel: 062 80670, the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1800 666 111, or indeed any Garda station.

Dublin Woman Jailed For Online Threats To Tánaiste Mr Simon Harris.

A Dublin mother has been sentenced to six months in prison after sending a series of threatening and grossly offensive social media messages to An Tánaiste Mr Simon Harris.

Ms Sandra Barry, aged 40 years, with an address at Tor an Rí, Balgaddy, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to sending a “threatening or grossly offensive communication” with intent to cause harm, contrary to the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

The court heard that the messages were sent on August 30th last,, 2025, with the injured party receiving messages on Instagram the following day. Gardaí identified Ms Barry following an investigation by the Garda Special Detective Unit, during which a warrant was obtained to examine the relevant account. The court was told some terms were used in an apparent attempt to bypass online safety filters.

In mitigation, the defence said the messages were sent during “three minutes of madness”, and that Ms Barry was now remorseful, and that she had since written a letter of apology. The court also heard she claimed to have no recollection of sending the messages and that she had recently changed anti-depressant medication.

Passing sentence, Judge Ms Michele Finan said such offences, committed “behind closed doors”, can have a catastrophic impact on recipients and a custodial sentence was warranted.

Ms Barry was granted €200 appeal bail after sentencing.

So what are the rules under Irish Law with regards to Hate Crime.

In Ireland, the laws governing hate-related offences are primarily set out in two pieces of legislation that distinguish between hate crimes (criminal acts targeting specific groups) and hate speech (inciting others to hatred).

(1) Hate Crimes: Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024.
This landmark legislation commenced on December 31st, 2024, marking the first time Ireland has had specific statutory provisions for hate crimes.

New “Aggravated” Offences: The Act creates new versions of existing crimes, such as assault, harassment, and criminal damage, that are “aggravated by hatred”.
Proof Requirements: A crime is considered a hate crime if the prosecution proves:
Motivation: The perpetrator was motivated (wholly or partly) by hatred towards a protected group.
Demonstration: Alternatively, a “demonstration test” allows for prosecution if the perpetrator demonstrated hatred (e.g., through slurs or gestures) at the time of the offence.
Sentencing: Offences proven to have a hate element attract significantly higher maximum penalties than their non-aggravated counterparts. If hatred is not proven, the individual can still be convicted of the basic criminal act (e.g., simple assault).

(2) Hate Speech: Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989.
While the 2024 Act focuses on physical acts, “stirring up” hatred remains governed by this 1989 Act.
It is an offence to communicate (spoken, written, or broadcast) material that is threatening, abusive, or insulting and intended or likely to stir up hatred against a protected group.
Newer plans to replace this with updated hate speech laws were shelved in late 2024, due to a lack of consensus on free speech protections.

(3) Protected Characteristics.
Under current Irish law, “hatred” is defined by reference to the following protected characteristics:

Race and Color.
Nationality and National or Ethnic Origin (including the Traveller community).
Religion (including absence of belief).
Sexual Orientation.
Gender (including gender expression and identity).
Sex Characteristics (physical/biological features).
Disability.
Descent (e.g., ancestry).

(4) Aggravating Factors in General Sentencing
For any other crime not specifically listed as an “aggravated” offence in the 2024 Act, judges are required to treat evidence of a hate motive as an aggravating factor during sentencing. The court must state on the record that the sentence was increased due to this hate element.