Tipperary to elect 40 councillors

Tipperary County Council is the local authority of County Tipperary. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture and environment, 40 elected members, with the 4 seats in the Cahir LEA of particular interest to us in TheAvondhu.

The head of the council has the title of cathaoirleach (chairperson) and is presently Cllr Ger Darcy. The county administration is headed by a chief executive and the administrative centres are in Nenagh and Clonmel.

Tipperary County Council was established on 1 June 2014 and came into operation after the 2014 local elections, as a successor to North Tipperary County Council and South Tipperary County Council under the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. On the same date, the town councils of Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Nenagh, Templemore, Tipperary and Thurles and the borough council of Clonmel, were dissolved and their functions were transferred to Tipperary County Council. The council has 40 members, which is a reduction from the combined total of its predecessor councils (21) in North Tipperary nd

and (26) in South Tipperary.

LOCAL ELECTORAL AREAS AND MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS

County Tipperary is divided into local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions and into borough and municipal districts for the purposes of local exercising of the powers of the local authority. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Clonmel is referred to as a Borough District.

The MDs / LEAs and seats are: Clonmel 6, Cahir 4, Cashel - Tipperary 7, Carrick-on-Suir 5, Nenagh 5, Newport 4, Thurles 5, Roscrea - Templemore 4.

The Clonmel area includes: Ballyclerahan, Clonmel East Urban, Clonmel Rural, Clonmel West Urban, Colman, Graigue (in the former Rural District of Cashel), Inishlounaght, Kilcash, Killaloan, Kilsheelan, Kiltinan, Lisronagh and Tullamain.

Cahir takes in Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, Ballyporeen, Burncourt, Caher, Clogheen, Coolagarranroe, Derrygrath, Kilcommon, Kilcoran, Killadriffe, Knockgraffon, Mortlestown, Newcastle, Tubbrid, Tullaghmelan and Tullaghorton.

Tipperary County Council approved a Budget for 2024 which is aimed at maintaining essential and other local authority services, while supporting the local economy and covering the rising costs of inflation. Tipperary chief executive, Joe MacGrath, set out the issues for the Draft Budget 2024 late last year.

The overall expenditure for the year 2024 was estimated at €234,153,886, with an income of €169,003,172. The difference to be made up by the Local Property Tax (LPT) and commercial rates levied on businesses.

The main areas of expenditure by Tipperary County Council are in Housing and Building, Road Transport and Safety, Water Services, Development Management, Environmental Services, Recreation and Amenity, Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Miscellaneous Services.

"The range and breadth of services provided by the local authority has expanded over the years,” said Mr MacGrath “Tipperary County Council's remit as a service provider extends beyond the traditional services to include expansive roles in areas such as active travel, supports to refugees and asylum seekers, economic development, job creation and community supports.

“While many of these services are fully funded by Exchequer grants and other financial measures, the multiplicity of services now being provided places greater demands on our support services which is reflected in our budgets", the CE said.

Figures from the 2022 Census put the population of Tipperary at 167,895, with 70,608 homes in the county. The council staff figure is in the region of 1,000.

South Tipperary County Council, prior to 2014, was the authority responsible for local government in the county of South Tipperary. The council had 26 elected members. The head of the council had the title of cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county town was Clonmel.

Originally, South Tipperary County Council held its meetings in Clonmel Courthouse, before moving to new facilities in Emmet Street, latterly known as the County Hall, in 1927.

On 26 July 2011, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, announced the proposed merger of North Tipperary County Council and South Tipperary County Council. It was abolished on 3 June 2014 when the Local Government Reform Act 2014 was implemented.

For the purpose of elections, South Tipp was divided into five local electoral areas with 26 councillors elected every 5 years or so, as follows: Cahir (4), Cashel (4), Clonmel (7), Fethard (6) and Tipperary (5).