Most of Ireland’s Local Authorities Strengthen Environmental Enforcement in 2025.
Ireland’s local authorities delivered a strong environmental enforcement performance in 2025, with 83% of assessments under the National Enforcement Priorities rated Strong or Excellent. The EPA’s latest performance report shows that environmental teams across the country carried out more than 252,000 inspections, responded to 85,500 complaints, took 23,550 enforcement actions and initiated 386 prosecutions during the year.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Galway City Council and South Dublin County Council achieved the required standard across every National Enforcement Priority. All 31 local authorities also met the required standard for tackling illegal waste. Despite the positive overall results, the EPA identified areas where enforcement must improve. Seventeen per cent of assessments fell below the required standard, while Leitrim County Council and Sligo County Council did not meet the required standard across several priority areas. Particular attention is now needed in relation to waste segregation, discharges to water and transport noise. The EPA has called on local authorities to maintain momentum, allocate sufficient resources and ensure that enforcement is consistent across the country.
Tipperary County Council. While Tipperary County Council recorded positive results across several environmental enforcement priorities in 2025, the EPA assessment indicates that improvement is needed in two important areas.
The council received yellow ratings for its performance under the Environmental Noise Directive and for discharge licences and Misconnections. These ratings indicate that the work carried out did not reach the required Strong or Excellent standard.
The Environmental Noise Directive requires local authorities to identify harmful transport-noise exposure, prepare action plans and demonstrate that appropriate measures are being implemented. Tipperary County Council should clarify what actions are planned, when they will be completed and how progress will be measured.
The rating for Discharge Licences and Misconnections is also a concern. Incorrect wastewater connections and poorly controlled discharges can result in pollution entering surface-water drains, rivers and streams. Stronger inspections, licence reviews, investigations and enforcement follow-up may be required to protect water quality.
Visual Confirmation:State of the Suir River setin the heart of Thurles today; left uncleared since the recent Liberty Music Festival, which was held on Saturday July 4th and Sunday 5th, 2026 last.
These findings do not suggest failure across the council’s entire environmental programme. They do, however, show that enforcement must be consistent across every priority area. Tipperary County Council should respond by publishing clear corrective actions, measurable targets and realistic timelines for improvement. The report also highlights targeted work carried out in Tipperary’s firewood sector. Eleven firewood producers were contacted and provided with information on their obligations under solid-fuel legislation, including EPA registration and certification requirements. Following this engagement, three producers registered with the EPA and six began working towards certification through the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme. Two newly identified producers remain subject to further follow-up.
The Tipperary initiative demonstrates how inspections, education and sustained engagement can improve compliance. It also shows that continued oversight is necessary to ensure firewood meets the required quality and moisture standards, protects air quality and supports responsible producers.
The EPA will continue to monitor local-authority performance and work with councils to improve environmental outcomes for communities throughout Ireland.
A nationwide hosepipe ban will take effect at 12.01am on Friday, 24th July, as Ireland’s continuing warm and dry weather places increasing pressure on public drinking water supplies. Uisce Éireann has extended the existing Water Conservation Order to every county including Tipperary. The restrictions will remain in force until Wednesday, 26th August, although the duration may be reviewed depending on weather conditions and the availability of water.
The order previously applied to the Greater Dublin Area, south Tipperary and parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow. Its expansion means households throughout the country must now avoid using hosepipes or similar equipment for non-essential purposes.
Prohibited activities include watering gardens, washing private cars or leisure boats, filling domestic swimming pools and paddling pools, and operating ornamental fountains or garden ponds. Commercial uses that require water as part of a business activity are exempt from certain restrictions.
The measure follows an extended period of high temperatures and increased water consumption. Several groundwater sources are experiencing reduced yields, while demand in some regions has exceeded the amount of treated water that can be produced locally. Targeted overnight restrictions have also been introduced in a number of areas to allow reservoirs to recover and maintain daytime supplies for homes and businesses.
Uisce Éireann is asking the public to limit unnecessary water use by taking shorter showers, repairing leaking taps and toilets, turning off taps while brushing teeth, and running washing machines and dishwashers only when full. A garden hose or sprinkler can use a substantial amount of water in a single hour.
Met Éireann forecasts indicate that temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal averages overall, increasing the importance of conserving supplies for households, hospitals, farms, businesses and other essential services.
County Tipperary Chamber is calling on every business in Thurles and the surrounding area to complete the Thurles Bypass Business Impact Survey before Friday, 7 August 2026.
For decades, the people and businesses of Thurles have heard proposals, commitments and political assurances regarding essential road infrastructure. However, the town is still waiting for the completed Inner Relief Road and the long-promised Outer Ring Road or Thurles Bypass.
As recently highlighted by Thurles.info, announcements and expressions of political support are not the same as approved funding, a binding construction programme or a completed road.
Thurles businesses need delivery, certainty and measurable progress. Traffic congestion is not merely an inconvenience. It imposes real and continuing costs on local employers. It delays deliveries, wastes staff time, disrupts logistics, restricts customer access and makes it more difficult for businesses to plan, invest and expand. Every delayed journey affects productivity. Every customer discouraged by congestion represents a potential loss to the local economy. Every infrastructure project that remains uncertain can influence future investment and employment decisions.
This aforementioned survey provides businesses with an opportunity to transform those daily experiences into clear, credible and representative evidence. County Tipperary Chamber recently welcomed Thurles native Mr John O’Shaughnessy CDir MBA LL.B (Hons) Dip IOD, Managing Director of Clancy, as its new President. Mr O’Shaughnessy has taken on the presidency at a critical time for business confidence and regional competitiveness. His focus on delivery, effective advocacy and ensuring that the voice of Tipperary business is heard consistently at local and national level is particularly relevant to the infrastructure challenges facing Thurles.
Under his leadership, the Chamber is determined to ensure that the concerns of local businesses are supported by strong evidence and presented directly to Government and other decision-makers.
That effort now requires the support of the Thurles business community. Whether you operate a retail shop, hospitality venue, professional practice, manufacturing company, transport business or family enterprise, your experience matters.
The survey is open to Chamber members and non-members and to businesses of every size and sector.
Government departments require more than general expressions of concern. They require evidence showing how congestion affects operating costs, staffing, deliveries, customer access, competitiveness, investment and future growth.
The greater the response, the stronger the Chamber’s case will be.
This is not about creating another report that sits on a shelf. It is about establishing a compelling business case for action and demonstrating that Thurles cannot continue to compete effectively without modern, dependable transport infrastructure.
A sincere thanks to every business that has already participated. Your time and first-hand knowledge are all helping to build the evidence needed to secure meaningful progress. To those who have not yet responded, please do not assume that another business will speak for you. Every completed survey adds weight, credibility and urgency to this campaign.
Thurles deserves roads, investment and delivery, not more uncertainty or political promises.
McDonald’s has confirmed that its new drive-thru restaurant in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 19th, 2026.
The opening will come almost one year after An Coimisiún Pleanála issued its final approval for the controversial development, bringing a lengthy planning process and months of local debate to an end. The new restaurant is being constructed on a former industrial site at the junction of Slievenamon Road and the now once again delayed “Thurles Relief Road“, close to the Lidl supermarket and approximately 700 metres from Thurles town centre.
Plans provide for a single-storey restaurant measuring almost 479 square metres, together with a drive-thru lane, customer-ordering points, digital menu boards, car parking, accessible spaces, electric-vehicle charging bays and bicycle parking. The development will also include outdoor seating, landscaping, lighting, signage, an electricity substation and changes to the existing vehicle entrance from the relief road.
Recruitment Begins Ahead of August Launch. McDonald’s has begun recruiting full-time and part-time staff members for the new Thurles restaurant. The recruitment advertisement confirms the August 19th opening date and states that successful applicants will receive paid training at other nearby McDonald’s restaurants during the weeks leading up to the launch. Advertised hourly pay for some adult employees is up to €14.25, depending on age and the terms of the new positions. The recruitment drive is expected to create a significant number of new low paid hospitality jobs in the Thurles area, although the company has not publicly confirmed the restaurant’s total anticipated workforce.
Plans Attracted More Than 20 Objections. McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland submitted its planning application for the Thurles development in September 2024. The proposal proved controversial from the beginning, attracting more than 20 objections from residents and other interested parties. Concerns raised during the initial planning process included the location of the outlet, traffic levels, road safety, litter, noise, opening hours and the proximity of the proposed restaurant to residential properties and childcare facilities. Some objectors also raised public-health concerns relating to fast food and childhood obesity. The development was originally intended to operate around the clock. However, permission ultimately restricted its opening hours to between 6am and 10pm, meaning the Thurles restaurant will not be permitted to trade on a 24-hour basis.
Tipperary County Council initially sought additional information from the applicant, including further details concerning traffic and the proposed operation of the development. Documents submitted during that stage included an analysis indicating that the site would have space for a queue of approximately 32 vehicles, before waiting traffic would potentially reach the adjoining public road.
Council Permission Was Appealed Tipperary County Council granted permission for the restaurant, subject to conditions, on April 9th, 2025. That decision was subsequently appealed to the national planning authority by a third party, while a number of additional observations were submitted for consideration. An Coimisiún Pleanála examined issues including traffic and pedestrian safety, flood risk, residential amenity, visual impact, town-centre development and the site’s proximity to the River Suir and the Lower River Suir Special Area of Conservation. The Commission issued its decision on August 26th, 2025, upholding the council’s decision and granting permission with revised conditions. In its formal order, the planning body determined that the development would not seriously damage the amenities of nearby properties or create unacceptable risks in relation to public health, flooding, traffic, pedestrian safety or visual amenity. It also considered the mixed-use zoning of the former industrial land, Thurles’s status as a key regional town and the planning policies applying to the area.
Construction Work Underway Site-clearance activity began in early 2026, allowing construction of the restaurant and associated infrastructure to proceed. Information published locally indicated that the principal works were expected to take place between February and July, leaving several weeks for completion, staff training and final preparations before the planned August opening. The development represents the latest chapter in efforts to bring a McDonald’s outlet to the former Erin Foods lands. A previous application connected to a proposed drive-thru restaurant at the wider site was submitted as far back as 2020 but was deemed incomplete shortly afterwards.
While the current project has continued to divide opinion locally, the August opening will introduce one of the world’s largest fast-food brands to Thurles and hopefully provide new employment opportunities for the town For supporters, the development represents investment, additional consumer choice and the productive reuse of former industrial land. For critics, concerns about traffic, litter, public health, late-evening activity and the effect of drive-thru development on the character of the area remain.
Barring any construction or operational delays, the first customers are expected to be welcomed through the doors of the new Thurles McDonald’s on August 19th.
Emergency services are continuing efforts to contain a wildfire burning on Slievenamon mountain in County Tipperary.
Slievenamon is one of County Tipperary’s most important natural and cultural landmarks, rising prominently above the surrounding plains and serving as a valued destination for walking, recreation and appreciation of the county’s landscape. Its importance extends far beyond scenery: the mountain contains prehistoric burial remains, is deeply connected with Irish mythology and the stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill, and inspired Charles Kickham’s song “Slievenamon,” widely regarded as Tipperary’s unofficial county anthem. As a place where nature, archaeology, folklore and local identity come together, protecting Slievenamon is essential for preserving biodiversity, heritage and a powerful symbol of belonging for generations to come.
Firefighters withdrew from the mountain overnight because darkness, difficult terrain and limited visibility made operations unsafe. Crews maintained a presence in the area and continued monitoring the fire throughout the night.
Overnight fog helped subdue the blaze, while firebreaks established during Monday’s operation limited its spread. However, the fire remains active, and officials say there is still considerable work to be done.
Crews from Clonmel, Cahir and Carrick-on-Suir are assessing the affected area and developing a plan to safely return to the mountain. Aerial assessment is also being used to establish the extent of the fire and any possible impact on nearby forestry.
Emergency services have said there is currently no imminent threat to residential properties. Members of the public are being asked to avoid the affected area, follow all instructions from emergency personnel and exercise extreme caution during the continuing warm and dry conditions.
People should not light fires or disposable barbecues grills in or near forests, grasslands or upland areas. Any sign of fire should be reported immediately by calling 112 or 999.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Recent Comments