The March4Tipp group has decided to defer the disruption of the N24 that was scheduled for Friday 22 February. Click below to read more.
The Government has announced the appointment of an Independent Chair for a Task Force for the town. A meeting between the Independent Chair, Alison Harvey, and March4Tipp is hoped to take place shortly.
A press release from the group to local media is copied below.
PRESS RELEASE
Issue date: Monday 18 February 2019
ON BEHALF OF #MARCH4TIPP
What? Deferral of plan to disrupt the N24
Who? The March4Tipp Group
Why? In order to meet the newly appointed Independent Chair of the Task Force
The Group that organised two recent protest marches in Tipperary Town had scheduled an action aimed at disrupting the N24 for Friday 22 February. In recent days, the Government has appointed Alison Harvey as Independent Chair of a Task Force to deal with the problems facing the town. The Group has now decided to defer a decision on the N24 disruption until after it has met with Alison Harvey.
The Group has previously refused to engage with the Tipperary County Council-led Tipperary Town Centre Forum, on the basis that it was felt to be the wrong process to rejuvenate the town. The Group has welcomed the appointment of Ms Harvey but wants to be sure that the process she will lead has sufficient scope to include such serious problems as unemployment, social deprivation and a bypass of the town. The Group has also said that it wants to see the new process being target-driven, especially in the area of driving down unemployment levels in the town and wider area.
If the Group is not satisfied that the Task Force will cover those important issues, it will continue and escalate its protest action until the Government puts in place a program to deal with those major problems. That protest action is likely to include regular N24 disruption. “We cannot abandon the unemployed and those suffering from serious disadvantage by giving up our fight, if the Task Force will not deal with the more serious issues facing the town”, said Mary Margaret Ryan on behalf of the Group. “If we are confident that the Task Force can deliver the jobs, the bypass and the other important outcomes, then we will work with the other stakeholders to achieve those. If the Task Force can’t do those things, we will stay outside it and continue to protest until the town’s problems are taken seriously by the Government” she said.
ENDS
