Thurles Information

New Bill Will Implement Biggest Reform To Judicial Appointments In Decades.

Minister Mrs Helen McEntee publishes Bill to implement biggest reform to judicial appointments in decades.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 provides clear process for appointing judges.
New measures mean all candidates, including serving judges, will undergo new application and interview procedures.
Candidates will be required to undergo judicial training or continuous professional development.

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee, T.D., has today announced that the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022, was approved by Government earlier this week and will be published shortly.
This represents an important step forward in the reform of the judicial appointments process as committed to by the Minister, most recently in Justice Plan 2022.

This Bill, when enacted, will lead to the biggest reform in the way judges are chosen for appointment in a quarter of a century.

A number of key changes have been made to the Bill from the General Scheme as published by Minister McEntee in December 2020.

The changes include:

* Number of recommendations – 3 persons to be recommended instead of 5 recommendations as provided for in the General Scheme and an additional 2 recommendations for a second and additional vacancies. For example, this would mean seven recommendations for three vacancies

* Only persons recommended by the Judicial Appointments Commission to be recommend by the Government for appointment by the President

* Interviews – Any person – new applicants and serving judges seeking promotion to higher courts – who is to be recommended to the Minister for Justice for appointment should have been interviewed by the Judicial Appointments Commission

* Diversity – The Commission will be required to publish a diversity statement committing to the objective that membership of the judiciary should reflect the diversity of the population as a whole.

* Continuous Professional Development – Candidates will be required to show they have undertaken judicial training or continuous professional development

Minister McEntee said:
“In the hundred years since the foundation of the state, our judges and our judiciary have served us extremely well. In proposing this legislation, I hope that it will enable the continued appointment of excellence judges which are a cornerstone of a strong, independent judiciary.
It is vital that we have a very clear process for judicial appointments, one that people understand and have full confidence in.

The Bill I am publishing today allows for the establishment of a Judicial Appointments Commission of nine members, chaired by the Chief Justice, to replace the current Judicial Appointments Advisory Board.
All 4 lay members of the Commission will be selected and recommended by the Public Appointments Service.
The current JAAB process only concerns first-time judicial appointments, with no statutory advisory role in place relating to appointments from the ranks of serving judges.

This Bill will ensure that anyone who wishes to be considered for appointment to judicial office, including serving judges, will apply to the Commission and undergo the same application and interview processes.
Membership of the judiciary should also reflect the diversity of the population as a whole and a new diversity statement will commit the Judicial Appointments Commission to that objective.

I look forward to working with all members of the Houses of the Oireachtas to bring this legislation to enactment as soon as possible.”

The approval of this Bill follows a substantial process of consultations, in particular with the Attorney General, the European Commission and the Chief Justice.

Commenting on the changes made in the Bill to the General Scheme, Minister McEntee stated:
“In a change from the previously published General Scheme, three persons are to be recommended instead of five, with an additional two recommendations for a second and additional vacancies. This will ensure that we are meeting all of our necessary obligations under EU law.
I am strongly of the view that a candidate should be recommended only after being interviewed, so I have made this a requirement in the Bill.
Additionally, I have included a requirement that judicial appointments will reflect the need for candidates to undergo judicial training or continuous professional development.
I am committed to improving training and continuous professional development right across the justice sector. This is crucial to providing a better service to people who need to engage with our justice system and those who work within it – from our Gardaí to our judges – and I am pleased the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill reflects this priority.”

The Judicial Appointments Commission will set out best practice selection procedures including interviews and the knowledge, skills and attributes required of judges.

Death Of Kathleen Keane, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday Wednesday 30th March, 2022, of Ms Kathleen Keane, The Orchard, Friar Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and formerly No.21 Bohernanave, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her parents Con and Catherine, brothers Connie, Blackie and Larry, sisters Margaret, Theresa, Elizabeth and Maria; Ms Keane passed away peacefully at her place of residence.

Her passing is most deeply regretted by her loving family, son Jason, niece Sonia, nephews, nieces, grandnieces, grandnephews, sisters-in-law Mary and Carmel, extended relatives, neighbours and many friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Ms Keane will repose in Hugh Ryan’s Funeral Home, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, on Tuesday next, April 5th, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, before being received into the Church of St. Joseph & St. Brigid, Bothar na Naomh, Thurles, at 7.45pm.
Requiem Mass for Ms Keane will be celebrated on Wednesday morning, April 6th, at 10:00am, followed by interment immediately afterwards in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Moyne Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

For the many persons who would have liked to have attended Requiem Mass for Ms Keane, but are unable to do so, due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic; same can be viewed online HERE.

[NB: Due to Public Health Guidelines, regarding C-19 virus restrictions; those attending Requiem Mass will continue to observe strict adherence to social distancing, face covering, with no hand shaking.]

The extended Keane family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time and have made arrangements for those wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.

Suaimhneas síoraí dá h-anam dílis.

Drugs Flushed Down Toilet Retrieved By Gardaí.

A female, holding a Thurles address, who obstructed Gardaí while attempting to flush illegal drugs down a toilet, during a planned search of a property in Portarlington, has been fined at Portlaoise District Court.

Rachel McCarthy, aged 30, with an address at No.15 Cabra Court, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, had pleaded guilty to the offence.

Prosecuting Garda confirmed that the offence happened on January 21st last year, when the accused flushed a number of small bags containing cannabis and cocaine, latter intended for her own use and for sale or supply, down a toilet on the property being searched.
Gardaí had entered the address in Portarlington, bearing a search warrant and later had managed to retrieve the flushed items.

The accused, latter a mother of two children, through her legal aid, informed the court that she had panicked, but had fully admitted her action; fully co-operating with Gardaí when being interviewed.

Granting Gardaí a destruction order for the drugs in question, Justice Mr John King convicted the accused of the offence and fined her €400.

New 20 Cent Levy On Disposable Cups, If EU Agreeable.

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.

It Happened On This Day: 173 years ago.

“How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings?” – Mahatma Gandhi.

A ‘Great Famine Walk’ between Louisburgh and Doolough, Co. Sligo, takes place every year to commemorate what history records as the “Doolough Tragedy”.

Today, here in Thurles, as the last piece of our Great Famine heritage (1845-49) is finally eradicated from the face of this earth, supported by Mr Seamus Hanafin, (Fianna Fáil Councillor) and others, we remember that 173 years ago, on this same day, (Friday March 30th, 1849), two officials of the Westport Poor Law Union arrived in Louisburgh, southwest Co. Mayo.

**“Doolough Tragedy”** – **In ár gcroíthe go deo**.

Their purpose for coming, was to inspect people who were in receipt of outdoor food relief and to verify that same should continue to receive it.

This inspection, did not take place as scheduled and the two officials moved on to Delphi Lodge, considered more suitable to accommodate, worthy inspecting officials.

The lodge today is situated some 12 miles (19 kilometres), south of Louisburgh, on the southwest corner of Clew Bay in County Mayo. It was here they chose, to spend a night or two.

Delphi Lodge was first built in the 1830’s by the Marquis of Sligo as a hunting/fishing lodge. The family seat was Westport House, near Westport, County Mayo. [Family titles included – Baron Mount Eagle, of Westport in the County of Mayo (created 10 September 1760), Viscount Westport (in 1768) and Earl of Altamont (in 1771)].

It is stated that the building was named ‘Delphi’ based on the area’s similarity to the home of the “Oracle” in Greece, latter an important shrine, built around a sacred spring, and regarded as the ‘omphalos’ (meaning the centre or navel) of the world.

Over the next 120 years, it was used throughout by the family or on occasion leased out to British army officers and members of the protestant clergy.

In 1903 Delphi Lodge was visited by King Edward VII, and in 1995 by a recent visitor to Tipperary, last week, Prince Charles.
This house eventually fell slowly into semi-dereliction until rescued in 1985, by Mr Peter Mantle, together with investors, who restored the Lodge, its Cottages and Fishery.

Meanwhile, 173 years ago, the several hundred people who had gathered for this now delayed inspection, were consequently instructed to appear at Delphi Lodge, at 7:00am the following morning. The lodge was then owned by Mr George John Browne [1820–1896] 3rd Marquess of Sligo. The ultimatum in the inspectors instruction stated that if they wished to continue receiving their relief, they should be present to be examined.

For much of the night and day that followed, hundreds of Irish people, same destitute, starving and in a weakened and infirm state, had to undertake what for them was an extremely fatiguing 12 mile journey, in extremely cold, wet and windy weather.

In a letter written to the “Mayo Constitution” newspaper, [Published January 3rd, 1828 – May 11, 1872], a short time later; we learn that the bodies of seven persons, including women and children, were subsequently discovered on the roadside, between Delphi Lodge and Louisburgh, which overlooks the shores of Doolough lake, and that nine or ten more people never reached their homes.

Other sources claim that the total number of dead numbered 20 people, while local people claim that the number who died along the way exceeded all previous reports.

Co. Sligo has chosen to hold on to its strong history; on the other hand, Thurles Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin and Tipperary County Council Officials have decided to destroy Tipperary history, without the consent of Thurles residents.