Tipp Co. Co. – €2.8m Paid In Footpath Injury Insurance Claims

During our recent Local Elections here in Tipperary, the electorate choose, for the most part, to vote for “more of the same” and “more of the same” or even less, is most likely all the electorate can, in reality, honestly expect.

Cork County Council paid out €3.7m in footpath injury insurance claims of 22 local authorities in a two-year period. But did you know that our own Tipperary County Council, came home a strong second, doling out €2.8m in similar claims over this same period?

**Pictures Left-Right** ***(1)*** Paving around tree on **Rossa Street** Thurles: ***(2)*** Bulb not working in **traffic light** on Cathedral Street; *(3)* Traffic lights facing wrong direction in Parnell Street, Thurles. *[Reported on A****pril 2nd 2019*** *last]*; **(4)** Paving around almost all trees on **Liberty Square** Thurles.

Based on insurance reports released under ‘Freedom of information’ to The Sunday Times, (Reporter Valerie Flynn), same show that footpath injuries accounted for the majority of Local Authority compensation pay outs.

Cash strapped Local Authorities across Ireland are receiving more than 1,000 personal injury claims each year, caused by persons tripping and slipping on footpath surfaces. Examining these claims some €15.9m was paid out in 2018 for footpath injuries. The 22 councils in total received 1,336 claims in 2018, a 7.3% increase on 2017.

Here in Thurles, each day awakens to further accidents just waiting to happen through blatant neglect.

Approximately 10 days ago traffic lights out of action on Slievenamon Road in Thurles were repaired; however non-working traffic lights on Cathedral Street and Parnell Street, just yards away, have remained out of action since late March 2019.

Define ‘Neglect’:- A failure to look after; a failure to care for; failure to provide for; to leave alone or to abandon.

Define ‘Neglect’:- A failure to look after; a failure to care for; failure to provide for; to leave alone or to abandon.

This neglect / abandonment of basic, necessary services, together with, (and more importantly), health & safety issues, must immediately be addressed. We welcome all fair comment on these issues, granting a right of reply. What has Thurles Chamber of Commerce; Tipperary Co. Council; Mr Matt Shortt (Director of Services, Director of Roads, Transportation, Health and Safety) for the Templemore / Thurles Municipal Council; politicians and all our local elected public representatives, got to say on these serious matters?