The heated exchanges experienced by Tipperary Co. Council last week, were replicated in Dublin last night; as Dublin City Councillors (unlike Tipperary), voted 42-11 against a hike in their Local Property Tax, (LPT).
Their LPT had been reduced by a maximum of 15% since it was first introduced, but Dublin Council Management here once again, had recommended cutting that reduction to 10%, to generate extra revenue.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and People Before Profit all voted against any further increase, while the Labour Party and the Green Party voted in favour, latter using the argument that keeping the existing state of affairs would mean that services would suffer. (Dublin is a city where despite public transport poverty, few currently bother to buy a ticket to ride Luas (tram/light rail system), because no one bothers to check any more. After all the Red and Green Lines only cost €770m in reality, or three times the original estimate of €254m.)
TD’s “Taking the Piss”
Meanwhile today Government have approved salary increases for politicians, same totalling an estimated €2.2m over a full five-year Dáil tenure. This estimate is said to include more than €1m for the Chairperson’s of Oireachtas committees and €543,000 for TD’s who serve as Party or Assistant Party whips.
Headlines which have included; “Let’s Keep the Recovery Going,” – “Tipperary – The Place – The Time,” – “University Hospital Limerick, Most Overcrowded Hospital In Ireland” (attempting to serve the health needs of residents of North Tipperary on trolleys) – “Resurrecting Ireland’s villages” (a forgotten promise to ensure that our rural towns and villages are not left behind, as a Dublin economy continues to become obese), must surely now be revisited, and if necessary, by a General Election.
Absolute scandal to see LPT increased by Tipp. Co.Co. Surely at this stage the Thurles Leisure Centre should be self financing and not requiring a subvention from the people of Tipperary of €60,000.00. I believe that savings could be made in other areas within the Council to alleviete this 10% increase. Our County Councillors need to examine the finances and not be totally reliant on the Executives recommendations. We hear and see practically weekly from the Council what is being done or about to be done for employment in Thurles…absolutely nothing has been done! There are 18 vacany units/shops in Friar Street alone. This is indicative of what is not being done to support our Town in creating employment. It appears to be all talk , photo opportunities, and P.R. and nothing else.
Thurles needs urgent revitalization. If it has to be through positive government intervention then so be it. The business owners are already paying high rates and yet there are numerous vacant retail premises. The system of Rates is surely part of the reasons for such a high vacancy levels. It surely be an easy intervention by doing something positive with rates e.g. double tax allowance, dropping them for an emergency period of a few years etc. Retail is competing with cities and online and rural towns need government assistance of those towns are to be sustained.
The Leisure Centre is a positive in Thurles and if it gets a subvention then so be it.
I’m amazed. It is so long since I saw a county council worker I assumed they had all been made redundant. Isn’t the square just like Friar street a beauty to behold. When did the last new employer create jobs in the town and I don’t mean replace jobs. It appears to me that the people, committees who are around might as well be defunct for all the good they are.
I believe that people in and around Thurles know that there is a serious problem with Thurles. There is both under employment and unemployment. The town looks shabby and some parts of it are becoming derelict. Does leadership have to come from the people? Is that not what elected representatives, both at local and national level, should be doing, together with the many County Council employees at management level.
The new County Council offices on Castle Avenue are a credit and a positive. However they smack of ivory tower when you come round the corner at Park Avenue and see the state of the rest of the town.
Pat, John and Vincent:- Sirs it is indeed encouraging that you should comment on the current affairs of this rapidly expiring town called Thurles.
The dismantling, nay destruction, of the market town of Thurles, was brought about solely by Tipperary Co. Council; both its management and its elected Councillors, through firstly poor planning and secondly the introduction of €1.20 per hour for car parking.
Those set up to support business, (they know who they are) have failed miserably to support our shopkeepers in particular, turning our town into an assemblage of derelict buildings, bookmakers and fast food outlets.
Pat: Yes, Thurles Leisure Centre and The Source, should be run as a business. The latter, as I have stated before, is being used to support a ‘Dublin Economy’, since most of the acts performing within its portals are from that vicinity, with little encouragement for local talent.
Vincent: Few committees are currently operating with the exception of possibly sports clubs. All national funding must first now have Tipperary Co. Co. approval.
John: We are not Fine Gael’s favourite people presently, following the last election results. This can be seen by the €237,000 doled out from a pot of €10 million nationally for roads, (This sum is the 3rd lowest allocation in the country), despite the fact that Tipperary North & South have been amalgamated.
New Tipperary Hats are currently being ‘flung into the ring’ in the event of an expected early election. Having researched these individuals, I believe sadly I can confirm that not one of them has achieved anything remotely bordering on successful, during their political careers to date.
George.
Would it be possible to have these comments forwarded to the CEO of Tipperary Co.Co. It is his photo that is being plastered across our local paper on a very regular basis. He certainly loves the P.R. but not a lot being done about our Town. Where has Thurles Chamber gone? They appear to be non existent for the past few years. Let’s have more comments here and shake up our County Council and it’s Management team.