Councillor Seamus Morris, Rathnaleen, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Mobile: (087)2859125. E-mail: seamusmorris@hotmail.com Website: www.northtippsinnfein.

com Date: 20/07/13 Dear Editor At the last county council meeting I decided that I had enough of pretending that the Putting people First programme and the Tipperary Re Organisation was going to be a good thing for the people of Tipperary and I decided that the County Managers New approach to delivery of services in County Tipperary was in need of binning. The County Manager used what I described as Government Pro Austerity Terminology when he said that the Country Was Broke. The country is far from broke but the taxes collected in the Country are being mis used and also we seem to be rich enough to refuse to collect taxes from Tax Exiles , Multi national corporations using Ireland as a tax haven and allow the elite to avoid tax. In fact I went on to say that these tax avoiders are feted as heroes in this country while the lower and middle classes are being taxed quite literally to death. The county manager also said that People could use the An Post outlets as a replacement for the closure of area offices in Tipperary. Well again let me remind people that An Post lost tens of millions last year (due in some part by the broken promise by Labour and Fine Gael to compensate An Post for their Universal social obligation to provide services to rural areas) and will be looking at having to close more rural Post Offices so An Post cant be guaranteed to provide the services that the county manager is keen to strip away from the people of Tipperary. I also pointed out in my speech (although you wouldnt know it from the reporting) that this re organisation process was pre mature as there are too many unanswered questions which need clarity before we decide to close anything. The county manager seemed to be uncomfortable with me reminding him of the fact that Tipperary needs a full resource and needs analysis to be carried out(as Sinn Fin Tipperary have called for) before any plan is put in place to close anything and even more irritated that I kept reminding him that Lough Derg was being readied to be drained on behalf of an economic region 100 miles away and he claimed that it had nothing to do with the issue. I find it incredible that our most important natural resource could have nothing to do with the future economic well being of Tipperary . I also find it quite incredible that not one of my fellow councillors have questioned why at a time of ever increasing tax robbery from the hard pressed people of Tipperary why we are not looking for a meeting to decide what extra services can be provided for the people in the new United Tipperary ( school bus services including one to bring Tipperary students from Nenagh to Thurles and back for college, free school books , septic tank desludging once a year , money for full all weather sports facilities across the county , refuse collections and free healthcare as provided in other states) but then again they have bought into the game of putting Bondholders

debts first and not putting people first. I will also note that there is no plan in place yet about how to prevent rates collected in Nenagh being spent in Clonmel as South Tipperary will have more councillors and more voting power in Budgets and also it is worth noting out of the five area offices to close Newport, Borrisokane, Templemore , Roscrea and Cashel four of them are in North Tipperary. Sinn Fin will launch a strong campaign to ensure that the rights of the people in these areas are brought to the table and I would encourage the other politicians to open their eyes and see that they are being taken for fools. Yours Sincerely Cllr. Samie Morris