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School Bus Drivers & Teachers Set For Industrial Action

Bus Éireann Strike
Drivers of school buses are to be balloted on joining the Bus Éireann strike, now in its 11th day. This strike follows cost-cutting measures already introduced by Bus Éireann.

The Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) have confirmed that the ballot could be concluded within three weeks.

This new development comes ahead of a recent announcement by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that it may be prepared to intervene in this lengthening dispute, over the coming days.

However, SIPTU have stated that even if their members do enter into talks at the WRC, it will not call off its present industrial action.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland to Ballot Membership
Meanwhile the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) are set to also ballot their members for industrial action in the coming weeks, over redundancy fears.

The ASTI, who are not party to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, have stated that a number of redundancies are being threatened by the Department of Education, due to their continuing Government dispute. Threats of redundancies, if carried out, would make them the first public sector workers to be made jobless since the start of the economic crash.

Victim Of Last Evenings Tragic Traffic Accident Named

The name of the victim of last evening’s tragic accident on the M7 Dublin to Limerick road has been named as Mr Padhraic Moran.

Mr Moran sustained serious head injuries when the car he was driving left the road and crashed through a fence and down an embankment off the southbound carriageway, ending up on waste ground, in a ravine just off the motorway between Birdhill and Castletroy at around 7.40pm on Wednesday.

Mr Moran, who worked in the insurance business, was a consultant broker with one of Ireland’s leading home insurance providers Zurich, and was understood to have been returning to Limerick having attended a meeting in Dublin earlier in the day.

Originally from Ballybunion, Co. Kerry, Mr Moran resided at Mill Road, Limerick and was the brother of popular leading Thurles town clothing retailer Mr Dermot Moran, (Michael Moran Menswear, Friar Street, Thurles).  The deceased was also a cousin of former Kerry All-Star footballer and former Kerry manager Mr Denis “Ogie” Moran.

Road conditions are thought to have played a major role in his death, with reports of unprecedented showers of heavy sleet and hail being experienced by other motorists at this time in the same immediate area.

To Mr Moran’s wife Anne; his brother Dermot and all extended family members go our sincere sympathy on this sad occasion.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

One Dead Following Tipperary Multi-Vehicle Collision

Part of the M7 Dublin to Limerick road between Junction 27 Birdhill, Co. Tipperary and Junction 28 Castletroy, Co. Limerick has been closed, after a motorist lost his life in a 12 car pile-up around 8.00pm this evening.

It is understood that the victim, a man aged in his 50’s, suffered head injuries and died after his car left the road; crashing through a fence and ending up on waste ground, in a ravine just off the motorway between Birdhill and Castletroy.

A freak hailstorm is believed to have hit the area at the time of the incident, and may have been the major factor which led to the multi-vehicle collision. It is also understood that there were other injuries sustained by other drivers and their passengers involved, but thankfully in all cases these injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

A crew of fire fighters attached to Limerick City & County Fire Service, latter who had been attending a minor collision near Newport Co. Tipperary, were quickly on the scene of the multi-vehicle collisions. Same in turn summoned help from other crews from Newport & Nenagh in Co Tipperary and from Limerick city, with six ambulances from the region being dispatched to the scene.

The southbound traffic lane between Junction 27 Birdhill and Junction 28 remains closed awaiting a Garda forensic collision investigator to conduct a detailed examination of the scene at first light.
Traffic in the area is being turned around by Gardaí and full diversions are in place.

The body of the man pronounced dead at the scene was taken to University Hospital Limerick, where a post mortem will take place.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

[Anyone who may have witnessed the accidents are asked to contact Gardaí at Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick, Tel: (061) 212 400.]

SIPTU Serve Strike Notice on Bus Éireann

Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) and the National Bus and Rail Union have announced that they will commence an all out strike on Bus Éireann next Monday 6th March, if management at the company carries out a series of threatened cuts which it outlined in correspondence issued to staff this afternoon (Monday, 27th February, 2017).

Detailed in this correspondence is understood to have been a list of cost-cutting measures to be imposed by Bus Éireann management; who feel that they have no option but to implement changes to work practices with effect from March 6th, that in turn will result in immediate cost savings.

are understood to favour the closure of three routes, one of which affects Co. Tipperary; namely the Dublin-Clonmel route, scheduled to close on March 12th next.

Other routes earmarked for closure include the Athlone-Westport route on April 16th and the Dublin-Derry route from May 28th. There are also expected to be a reduction in services on the Dublin-Limerick and Dublin-Galway routes, with effect from March 12th next.

Management at Bus Éireann have also warned that there will be redundancies and an impact on future pay.

Several questions now arise re claims by Bus Éireann management that they have no option but to implement changes to work practices and workers salaries.
(1) How long did it take same Bus Éireann management to realised they were loosing €50,000 per day?
(2) Why are Bus Éireann vehicles no longer accepting company advertising, which in the past no doubt assisted greatly in supplementing bus travel shortfalls?
(3) Is their any point in rural residents paying taxes to central government into the future, when their entitlements as tax payers are being constantly removed or eroded, e.g. closure of public transport routes; lack of entitlements to equal Health Care; insufficient provision of road maintenance funding; pressures to install rural wind farms for electricity generation, which in turn leads to the wanton destruction of tourism potential ?
(4) The failure to attract even one small industry to Co. Tipperary in the past 12 years has forced massive emigration and migration from the area, which in turn has led to low public transport commuter figures.

Thurles Mother Killed While Holidaying In Morocco

It was with a deep sense of shock and sadness, Thurles inhabitants learned early today that a former much loved Thurles resident and one time employee of Thurles Swimming Pool had lost her life, following a hit-and-run accident in Morocco.

agadirMrs Yvonne Slaughter (nee Ryan) in her 60’s and formerly from Fontenoy Terrace, Thurles, Co. Tipperary was enjoying a New Year holiday break with other friends in the Moroccan capital of Agadir, when the accident took place on Saturday night/ Sunday morning last. Mrs Slaughter is daughter of the once prominent and successful former Thurles Town Councillor Mr Martin Ryan.

Local reports emanating from the area state that Mrs Slaughter was preparing to cross the street in the resort of Agadir, when she was struck by a motor vehicle, the driver of which was suspected to have been intoxicated. It is understood that initially the driver fled the scene, but was pursued by citizens who later handed him over to police authorities.

Mrs Slaughter, a mother of two, had been residing with her husband Mr Brendan Slaughter in Sallins, Co. Kildare and we understand that Mr Slaughter has now travelled to Morocco to help make arrangements for the return of his beloved wife’s remains.

The mother of Mrs  Slaughter, Mrs Phillis Ryan’ tragically passed away in July 2016, and today’s sad tidings now further adds to the huge sense of loss for a very close-knit and loving Ryan family.

As already stated, Mrs Slaughter is survived by her two children; her daughter Eabhe a Leaving Certificate student and her son Gavin a second year University student.

To the Ryan & Slaughter families go our sincere and deepest sympathy.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.