Thurles Information

Fuel Allowance 2025/26 – End Date Confirmed.

Fuel Allowance 2025/26: End Date Confirmed as Weekly Payments Will Run to 3rd April 2026.

The end date for this winter’s Fuel Allowance season has now been confirmed, with the 2025/2026 scheme due to finish in early April.

The Fuel Allowance season for 2025/26 began on Monday, 22 September 2025 and is paid for 28 weeks, bringing the final week of payments to Friday, 3 April 2026.

Rate and key dates:

The Department of Social Protection confirms the current weekly rate is €38, payable from week commencing 29 December 2025 until 3 April 2026.
Budget 2026 provided for a €5 increase in Fuel Allowance (from €33 to €38) from January 2026.

Budget 2026 changes: who benefits.
A number of measures affecting Fuel Allowance were announced as part of Budget 2026, including:

A Warm Coal Fire.

Working Family Payment (WFP) now qualifies for Fuel Allowance (subject to the qualifying conditions). Eligible WFP recipients will be paid in March/April 2026, and the payment will be backdated to January 2026 to include arrears.
The Department also confirms WFP customers do not need to apply in order to receive this Fuel Allowance payment, where no one else in the household is already getting it.
From September 2026, people moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension into work will be able to keep Fuel Allowance for five years (subject to the scheme rules).

Who can get Fuel Allowance.
Fuel Allowance is designed to help with home-heating costs during the winter months. You may qualify if you:

Are aged 66 or over (you do not need to be on a qualifying payment, but you must pass a means test),
Are under 66 and getting a qualifying long-term social welfare payment, and you also pass a means test,
Are living alone or only with certain people (see below).

Important: Fuel Allowance is not paid where a person’s heating needs are provided for in full as part of their accommodation.

Living arrangements that can still qualify:

You may qualify if you live alone, or only with certain people, including:
A person aged 66 or over
A dependent adult or dependent child
Someone on a qualifying payment (but only one Fuel Allowance is paid per household)
A person getting Carer’s Benefit who is caring for you (or your dependent adult/child)
A person on short-term Jobseeker’s Allowance or Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance

Qualifying payments (examples).
The Department’s list of qualifying payments includes, among others:

State Pension (Contributory / Non-Contributory).
Working Family Payment (WFP).
Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension.
One-Parent Family Payment, Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment.
Carer’s Allowance.
Farm Assist.
Bereaved Partner’s Pension (Contributory / Non-Contributory).
Certain EU/bilateral social security payments where there is an Irish equivalent.

Payment options and applications.
Fuel Allowance is normally paid weekly during the season. Some customers can opt to receive it in two instalments instead (one at the start of the season and a second in January), subject to the scheme rules.

FSAI Recall Batch Of Aptamil 1 From Birth First Infant Milk.

FSAI recall a specific batch of Aptamil 1 From Birth First infant milk due to presence of cereulide.

Alert Summary Monday, January 26th 2026.

Category 1: For Action.
Alert Notification: 2026.03.
Product Identification: Aptamil 1 From Birth First infant milk; pack size: 800g.
Batch Code: Expiry date: 31-10-2026.

Message: FSAI state that Danone is recalling the above batch of its Aptamil 1 From Birth First infant milk due to the presence of cereulide. This batch was indirectly distributed to Ireland from the UK via the Boots.ie website.

Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.

Danone is advising customers to contact its Aptamil careline team on Tel: 1800 22 1234 if they have any queries regarding this recall.

Nature Of Danger: Cereulide toxin is produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The toxin may be pre-formed in a food and is extremely heat resistant. Consumption of foods containing cereulide toxin can lead to nausea and severe vomiting. Symptoms can appear within five hours. The duration of illness is usually 6 to 24 hours.

Action Required: Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors & 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: Parents, guardians and caregivers are advised not to feed the implicated batch to infants or young children.

Death Of Klaus Foster, Formerly Thurles, Co Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, on Thursday 22nd January 2026, of Mr Klaus Foster, Butler Avenue, Thurles, Tipperary and Co. Clare.

Mr Foster passed away peacefully, while in the care of staff at Cratloe, Nursing Home, Co. Clare.

His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family, friends, John & Kathleen Murphy, all those at Thomas Murphy & Sons Ltd., Thurles, and all staff at Cratloe Nursing Home.

Rest in peace.

Funeral Arrangements.

A private funeral service and burial will take place.

The extended Foster 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 ár gcroíthe go deo.

Death Of Teresa Phelan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death, on Saturday 24th January 2026, of Mrs Teresa Phelan (née Ryan Jilly), Urard, Gortnahoe, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny and formerly Gurteenamoe, Rossmore, Co. Tipperary.

Pre-deceased by her husband Thomas, both parents and sisters Jo and Catherine; Mrs Phelan passed away peacefully while in the care of staff at Fennor Care Facility, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny.

Her passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sorrowing family; loving daughter Catriona, sons Patrick and Seàn, daughters-in-law Hetty and Stacey, Catriona’s partner Jordan, grandchildren Erin, Emma, Thomas and Patrick, great grandchildren Kasey, Dylan and Tommy, sisters Breda and Maura, brothers Tommy and Philly, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.

Requiescat in Pace.

Funeral Arrangements.

The earthly remains of Mrs Phelan will repose at Doyle’s Funeral Home Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny, (Eircode E41 XO38), on Wednesday afternoon, January 28th, from 5:30pm until 7:30pm, before being received into the Church of the Sacred Heart, Gortnahoe, Thurles, at 8:00pm same evening.
Requiem Mass for Mrs Phelan will be offered on Thursday morning at 11:30am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in Fennor Cemetery, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The extended Phelan 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.

“The Phelan family would like to take this opportunity to thank most sincerely nurses, management and staff at Fennor Care Facility, Urlingford, her homecare team, carers and neighbours for the excellent care and attention shown to Mrs Teresa Phelan. They will be forever grateful”.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

Gardaí Appeal For Information After Two Dogs Stolen In Tipperary.

Gardaí appeal for information after two dogs were stolen over a week ago on the R639 near Rockwell College on the Cashel to New Inn Road.

Gardaí in Tipperary are appealing to the public for information following the theft of two dogs on Monday, January 19th.

The incident occurred between Rockwell College and Racecourse Cross on the Cashel to New Inn Road (R639) between 2:10pm and 2:25pm.

The two dogs taken answer to the mames ‘Mouse’, latter a four-year-old foxhound, and ‘Rupert’, latter a one-and-a-half-year-old beagle. Gardaí say both dogs are microchipped.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí are seeking information about the theft of two dogs on Monday 19th January, between 14:10hrs and 14:25hrs. The incident occurred between Rockwell College and Racecourse Cross on the Cashel to New Inn Road (R639). Picture of both dogs shown above. Both are microchipped. 4 year old foxhound named Mouse, 1 and half year old Beagle named Rupert.”

The dogs’ owner is said to be distraught and appeals are being made for anyone who may have been in the area at the time, or who saw anything suspicious, to come forward. The case has also been shared on social media by animal welfare and rescue groups in a bid to help locate the dogs.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station on Tel: 052 617 7640, Cahir Garda Station on Tel: 052 744 5630, or indeed any Garda station.