Temporary employed council workers in Thurles are back in the ‘Dole Queue,’ prior to their completion of a long overdue major footpath refurbishment programme here in the town.
While necessary funding is understood to be now in place to complete this work in Thurles, a decision has been made to suspend the present workforce and to have this necessary work completed instead by sub contractors.
From September last this badly required footpath refurbishment remained stagnant, mainly thanks to the Fianna Gael Minister for Environment and Local Government Mr Phil Hogan. Mr Hogan had refused to release necessary funding to Local Government, because of a protest by taxpayers who refused to pay his unfair & inequitable “Household Charge Charge Tax,” latter which refused to identify the basic ability of individuals to pay. Recently Mr Hogan has reinstated some of this funding, but it came too late to avoid this year’s severe winter frost, which conditions now presently deems it inappropriate to pour concrete.
Matthew Avenue, situated on the west side of Thurles and the scene of several serious accidents by late evening walkers, currently remains looking like war torn Beirut, with some sections of footpaths incomplete while other sections remain covered in protective timber sheeting, to prevent frost damage. Necessary modelling for some footpath edge sections have been fully constructed, but the cement element of this refurbishment remain incomplete.
It presently remains unclear whether these, now unemployed, temporary workers will be re-employed to complete their work or whether they will be replaced by subcontractors. One thing is certain, if frost is the reason, surely subcontractors undertaking this work will encounter a similar dilemma.
The property tax will affect ALL.
Even the dogs in the street know Phil Hogan
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