“The Town Centre First (TCF) policy aims to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.” – See Town Centre First.
We learn this morning that the major upgrade of the N75, (Kickham Street), latter the main entry and exit route into and out of Thurles town (See Images) will now not go to tender, due to a lack of funding for the project from Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
To refresh our readers memories regarding this ongoing saga, please View Here and also View Here.
Meanwhile, here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, other new serious concerns are being expressed by Thurles residents and local businesses, regarding the removal of parking spaces from within the Thurles town central area, due to a number of recent public announcements, none of which are being communicated by recently elected local representatives or Tipperary Co. Council officials.
The commitment that “The Town Centre First Plan will be driven by the local community and businesses as part of a Town Team, who will be supported by Town Regeneration Officers and technical expertise within each Local Authority”, appears to have been totally disregarded by council officials. See Town Centre First.
The announcements, raising such concerns, are emanating from Thurles Leisure Centre, and are as follows:
Tipperary County Council intend to now close the 49 space car park established in Thurles Town Park, beside The Source building, latter positioned at the entrance to Cathedral Street, with effect from August 6th 2024, until December 2025, (16 months). Same closure is to effect the installation of a canopy over the existing car park area, thus creating an event space and also to refurbish an existing Great Famine era farm shed, into an 83 seater restaurant with glass facade café. Under this completed development it is planned to remove 16 car parking spaces from this area.
The Department of Rural and Community Development approved funding of over €3 million for this Thurles Market Quarter Project, with undeclared substantial match funding element also provided by the taxpayer through Tipperary County Council.
Problems arose last December with regards to the leasing by Tipperary Co. Council, of the 100 space car park, behind the now derelict Thurles Munster Hotel, Cathedral Street, owned by Mr Martin Healy. Although it was announced on TippFM radio on March 5th, that a 12 month deal had been agreed between the owner and Tipperary Co. Council; the Council and the property owner are now believed to have failed to agree any such new leasing agreement, leaving any future ongoing access to this car park in doubt and uncertain from next September. People will also be aware that present management at the Mary Immaculate College (formerly St Patrick’s College), as is their right, no longer allow parking on the College avenue and grounds.
With 60% of parking removed from Liberty Square in the past 3 years; as many as 19 other car parking spaces are expected to be removed from the west end of Liberty Square, if and when work begins on that same long drawn out project, first begun on August 17th, 2020.
Some 40 car parking spaces are expected to be removed with the expected upgrade to take place on Slievenamon Road (N62), between Liberty Square and Thurles Shopping Centre Roundabout.
The car park provision, underneath ‘The Source’ building, has remained closed for the past number of years due to anti-social behaviour, which saw the low uncovered ceiling insulation torn down by idle hands, resulting in same being set alight, causing a small fire at this location, back in October of 2023. Both car parks within this immediate area, were intended for use by patrons of ‘The Source’ Arts Centre, including Thurles Library, the Thurles Town Park children’s play area, the Thurles Leisure Centre, local businesses and those attending daily religious services, in the nearby Cathedral of the Assumption on Cathedral Street, in the town.
The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 has passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas today.
The Bill is seen as a major legislative step forward in ensuring that the justice system protects and supports all victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
The Bill contains a number of important measures, including:
Ensuring anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences.
Extend the victim’s right to separate legal representation if they are being questioned about their previous sexual history.
Ensure character evidence at a sentencing hearing for a person convicted of a sexual offence must be made on under oath or by way of affidavit.
Ensure people subject to military law who commit specified sexual offences will be dealt with by An Garda Síochána and the civilian courts rather than by courts-martial.
Put the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for human trafficking victims on a statutory footing.
Clear the final obstacles to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The Bill, once enacted, will ensure anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences and will offer them greater protection, as they engage with the justice system, by enshrining their right to separate legal representation if there is an application to question them over their previous sexual experience.
The victim’s right to separate legal representation if there is an application to question them about their previous sexual experience will be extended to include trials for sexual assault, which had not previously been covered under the legislation. The barrister who is assigned to represent the victim at the application will be allowed to continue to represent the victim at the questioning, if the application is granted.
The Bill also provides for the ‘vouching‘ of character evidence in sexual offences cases. This will ensure that where a person has been convicted of a sexual offence, character references presented at sentencing will have to be made via oath or affidavit.
In addition, the new Bill also puts a revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in place for identification and support of victims of trafficking. This new approach will make it easier for victims of trafficking to come forward, be identified and access advice, accommodation and support.
Some victims of trafficking, because of interactions they may have had with law enforcement officials in other jurisdictions, have a perception that police cannot be trusted. This new approach acknowledges other state bodies, outside of An Garda Síochána, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have a role in identifying victims of human trafficking and referring them to the National Referral Mechanism.
Ms Emily Logan (pictured here left), has been recommending for appointment as the new Police Ombudsman under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
Ms Logan was nominated for the role following an open, competition undertaken by the Public Appointments Service. The Government approved the nomination last week and Ms Logan’s official appointment, by the President of Ireland, is expected to be confirmed, with effect from August 1st, 2024, when her current term of appointment ends.
Career to date: Ms Logan was appointed to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in February 2021 having served as Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (2014 to 2019). Prior to this, she served as Ireland’s first Ombudsman for Children (2003 to 2014).
In addition to ten years of investigations as Ombudsman; in 2013 she conducted an inquiry under Section 42 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, into the taking into care of two children from two Roma families by An Garda Síochána. Ms Logan has over twenty years management experience both in Ireland and in the UK, including Director of Nursing at Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Director of Nursing at Tallaght University Hospital. She holds an LLM in Human Rights Law (Queens University Belfast), an MBA (University College Dublin) and an MSc in Psychology (City University London). She is Adjunct Professor (Human Rights Practice) at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUIG, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Law in University College Cork. Ms Logan also serves on the Board of the Independent Police Complaints Authorities Network (IPCAN).
It will be necessary to ensure that there is a seamless transition process between the provisions contained in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
Preparations are at an advanced stage for the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, later this year. Further announcements regarding appointments to key roles are expected to be made in the coming weeks and months.
According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), over 9,437 patients, including 70 children were admitted to our Irish hospitals, without a bed, during this past month (June 2024).
Reception Area University Hospital Limerick. Pic: G. Willoughby
This figure represents a 14% increase when compared to June 2023.
The hospital with the highest number of patients was University Hospital Limerick, latter serving North Tipperary with 1666 patients without a bed, in June.
University Hospital Galway had 1051 patients on trolleys this month, with 824 patients in Cork University Hospital also without a bed during the same period.
The figures remain as clear evidence as if same was required, that our health service remains far too reliant on a hospital system that does not have the sufficient bed capacity for an ever increasing Irish population.
Once again, Thurles Municipal District Council Officials, we hope, have been issuing invoices to all politicians who have failed to remove their posters, within the required time period, following the local and European elections held on June 7th, last (2024).
Our eye in the sky has located yet another poster erected at the behest of Aontu’s Ballydehob, Co. Cork based Mr Patrick Murphy, who threatened to “Put Ireland first in Europe”. However, it would appear that Mr Murphy wasn’t including Tipperary in his promotion of Ireland, deciding like most other losers, to litter our local countryside. This poster, displaying the image of Mr Murphy, can be located at the Turnpike, on the Two-Mile-Borris Road. Same should be removed by the Co. Council ASAP, as locals tell me the image is frightening young children in the area.
We already shamed Mr Murphy previously, (if that is possible); he having failed to remove at least 3 of his posters here in Thurles town; one on the Jimmy Doyle Road and the junction of the N62 (Templemore Road), and two posters on the Nenagh Road, opposite LIT Thurles. We learn from the small print that same were sponsored by Mr Peadar Tóibín, a current reigning TD, whom readers will remember resigned from Sinn Féin on November 15th 2018; due to his anti-abortion views, after opposing the party whip on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. So possibly, best to send the invoice to him. From our recogoning Mr Murphy now owes Thurles Municipal District Council (Tipperary County Council) €600.00. (4 posters fines @ €150.00 per poster = €600.00)
Mr Murphy’s poster erector again broke several rules as this poster remains attached to a road sign and is below head height, not meeting the minimum height of 2.3 metres above a pedestrian way.
This now outstanding figure of €600.00 added to the €150.00 owed by Ms Kay Cahill Skehan and the breach of legislation governing election posters now also due by MEP Ms Kathleen Function of €150.00, plus a fine not exceeding €634.87, (for failing to have printed on the poster’s face, the name and address of the printer and that of the publisher), bringing the total due to the appropriate Council, the sum of possibly €1,534.87.
All posters were required be removed byFriday June 14th2024 (by midnight).
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