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What is Restorative Justice?
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 The
Nenagh Community Reparation Project concurs with the following description
of restorative justice, which was suggested by Howard Zehr in 1990
and 1994
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"Restorative Justice seeks to redefine crime,
interpreting it not so much as breaking the law, or offending
against the state, but as an injury or wrong done to another
person or persons. It encourages the victim and the offender
to be directly involved in resolving any conflict through
dialogue and negotiation. Thereby, the victim and the offender
become central to the process with the state and legal profession
becoming facilitators, supporting a system which aims at:
offender accountability; full participation of both the victim
and the offender; making good, or putting right, the wrong.
"
(Source: Dept of Justice, NZ, 2000)
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Housing
The progressive building programme of both private construction
companies and the Local Authority ensures that a wide selection
of quality houses is available to meet the requirement of the town's
residents.
Schools/Education
Nenagh has both primary and secondary level schools which offer
comprehensive and effective curricula. Gaelscoileanna are established
at both levels offering education through Irish. The town is noted
nationally for its bilingual character and this was acknowledged
by Uachtarán na hÉireann in 1998 when she presented
the Glór na nGael Award to the people of Aonach Urmhumhan.
Teach an Léinn, which is located on Kenyon Street, which
comes under the auspices of Tipperary North Riding Vocational Educational
Committee, offers an excellent range of courses in adult education,
literacy, computer skills and back to work education.
Recreational facilities
Excellent recreational facilities are enjoyed by the people of Nenagh,
including a heritage centre, a well-stocked modern library, a cinema,
an active opera society and drama group and a variety of clubs.
For those interested in sports, Nenagh and the county offer quality
facilities for golf, tennis, squash, pitch & putt, shooting,
fishing, hunting, horse-riding, rugby, soccer and the traditional
games of handball, Gaelic football and hurling. Indoor facilities
include a swimming pool and an athletic track. Lough Derg, 5 miles
(8 km) west of the town, is a natural fishing amenity and there
are excellent facilities for sailing, water-skiing, swimming and
other aquatic sports. Lough Derg is the largest of the Shannon lakes
and forms a 30 mile (48km) border between counties Galway, Clare
and Tipperary. The neighbouring Silvermine Mountains , 5 miles (8km)
away provide scenic views and beautiful hill-walks for visiting
and local people.
Health Services
Hospital facilities in Nenagh include a general hospital (surgical
and medical) and a dental clinic. There are private nursing homes
and many general practitioners and dental surgeons in private practice
in Nenagh.
Development Plan
Nenagh Town Council has recently revised its town development plan.
Social Background Nenagh Urban District
Age Profile
The total population of Nenagh Urban District was 5645 in 1996.
In 1996, 36 per cent of this area was classified as age dependent
(i.e. under 15 years and over 65 years). The gender differentiated
age profile shows that 26 percent of the male population and 21
per cent of the female population in the area were aged under 15
years. In 1996, 8 per cent of the population was aged 20-24 years
while 7 per cent were between the ages of 25 to 29 years.
Education
In Nenagh Urban District, 27 per cent of the adult population left
education at or before 15 years of age. In 1996, 27 per cent of
the population aged 15 years and over had no formal or primary education
only. 15 per cent of the population remained in education up to
and beyond the age of 20. In 1996, 19 per cent of the population
aged 15 years and over whose full-time education had ceased, had
received a third level education. 28 per cent of men (who had ceased
education) in Nenagh Urban District had left school with no formal
or primary education only while 25 per cent of women (who had ceased
education) had left the education system with primary level or no
formal education. 19 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women in
the Nenagh Urban District attended third level education.
Employment
 In
Nenagh Urban District, 41 per cent of the total unemployed population
had no formal education or attended primary level only. 46 per cent
of unemployed men and 30 per cent of unemployed women had no formal
or only primary education. There were 362 people unemployed in Nenagh
Urban District in 1996 of which 43 per cent had been unemployed
for three years or more.
11 per cent of males at work in the Nenagh Urban District were
in part time work. While the majority of employed women were engaged
in full time work (72%), almost a quarter (24%) worked in a part
time capacity. The majority of people at work in Nenagh Urban District
were employed in manufacturing (27%) and commerce (24%), while 17
per cent were employed in professional services.
Social Class
The percentage of the population in Nenagh Urban in social classes
1 and 2 (professional workers and managerial and technical respectively)
in 1996 was 28 per cent. 37 per cent of the population was in social
classes 3 and 4 (non-manual and skilled manual occupations respectively).
24 per cent of the population belonged to social classes 5 and 6
( the semi and unskilled manual classes respectively) while 11 per
cent of the population was in social class 7 (all others).
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