4 days ago
Calls for more investment in Tipperary town as ‘concerning' report shows deepening disadvantage
TASC, a national think-tank for action on social change found that services in Tipperary town are falling far short of the needs of locals, with major gaps in the areas of mental health, addiction supports, childcare and transport.
The report – authored by Dr Adeelia Goffe, Dr Sara Singleton and Maria Pachowicz – warns that without targeted action, structural disadvantage in the town will deepen.
The report also called for 'urgent and sustained investment in services, infrastructure and inclusion measures to create a fairer, more connected' town.
It found that the town faced unique pressures, including a much higher share of non-Irish nationals, ethnic minorities, and Irish Travellers compared to the rest of the county or country. Tipperary town also sees higher levels of unemployment, disability, and early school leaving and the fact that 40% of households in the town are single-parent households – almost double the national average.
The implementation of school transport and breakfast schemes to support children's education and well-being, the expansion of access to physical and mental healthcare, as well as creating safe, inclusive spaces for young people are among the measures cited in the report to support the town to grow and thrive.
Councillor for the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District Liam Browne said that the report's findings were 'really concerning'.
"As a local councillor for Tipperary town, this new TASC report is really concerning, but it also tells us exactly what we've been seeing and hearing for years now in Tipperary town.
'It confirms that the essential services in Tipperary Town just aren't good enough for the community, especially for our children and families,' he said.
"It also highlights the deeper issues that led to the creation of the Tipperary Town Revitalisation Project in the first place. The project's plan already focuses on making the community fairer and more supportive, and this report gives us strong evidence to speed up that work,' Cllr Browne said.
Highlighting the importance of the work of the Tipperary Town Revitalisation Task Force, Cllr Browne called for energy from the task force to address the issues raised by the TASC report.
"We need to use the energy from the revitalisation project to fix the service gaps TASC pointed out, like getting better access to mental health care and improving our transport links.
"This is a chance to connect to the town's comeback with real, everyday improvements for all residents, making sure Tipperary Town has a truly fair and supportive future.
It's easy to knock a town, but Tipperary town deserves better than that. It has suffered from decades of underinvestment, but what's done is done. It's time now to think bigger and better,' Cllr Browne concluded.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
