GMIT and Galway City Council have signed a new agreement to work together to make the most of the economic, social and cultural assets of Galway city and region.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aims to create better opportunities for the people of Galway City and develop the city region even further as a place to live, work and visit.

It also looks to the future – planning to provide for Galway’s long-term and economic development and quality of life.

The MOU is an equal partnership between Galway City and GMIT, with a focus on city development and working together closer on a European and International level to improve the competitiveness of Galway City.

The agreement was formally signed by the Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Pearce Flannery, and the President of GMIT, Dr Fergal Barry, at a meeting of the City Council in the GMIT Galway (Dublin Road) this week.

Mayor Flannery said ‘this is a unique occasion for Galway City Council to hold its meeting at the GMIT campus’ and to sign and endorse the Memorandum of Understanding to ‘enhance collaboration between the third level institute and Galway City Council’.

“GMIT serves and engages with its diverse communities through enhanced relationships on their campuses, in the region and around the world. Through community engagement and partnerships, the third level institution supports social and cultural development as part of a holistic approach to regional development,” he said.

Galway County Council and Irish Water are advising people from Annagh Cross to Lackagh and the surrounding area that they could experience disruption to their water supply this afternoon, Friday 16th February.

The disruption to the water supply is to facilitate leak repair works at Ballyglunin, 12km south of Tuam.

Crews are currently working to repair the burst water main.

Yesterday, step testing was successfully completed, which caused disruptions to parts of Ballyroe, Springfield, Derryvode, Williamstown and surrounding areas in Co. Galway.

Patients in the HSE West region are being let down badly by the lack of progress in terms of delivering orthopaedic theatres at Merlin Park Hospital.

That is the view of independent TD Seán Canney, who said that it is incredible that it will take a full year for the issue to be partially rectified.

A leaking roof closed theatres at Merlin Park in October last year, and in recent months the HSE has gone through a tender process to acquire a modular theatre. That process is now complete.

Seán Canney criticised the lenghth of time that the theatres will have been closed for if it is reopened in October.

“At the moment the HSE hopes to have the theatre open in October, which will be a full year since the leaking roof was discovered,” commented the former Mayor of County Galway.

“Meanwhile, the repair work has been completed on the theatres and an external assessment has been undertaken, but the HSE is reporting that only one of the two old theatres will be open following this assessment and this will be open by mid-March.

“This represents 50% of the previous capacity, which was not sufficient to meet the needs of patients in this region. A small number of the orthopaedic cases which were previously carried out in Merlin Park Hospital are now being carried out in UHG.

A brief for a day services/orthopaedic theatres and endoscopy unit project for Merlin Park is now being finalised for submission to the National Capital Steering Committee for approval. This is expected to provide capacity for the medium to long-term needs.

“I fail to see how this will address the congestion currently being experienced at UHG, which I believe is a key priority in terms of hospital infrastructure in the west.

“I hope that I the short term the HSE will keep the old repaired building in use together with the new modular unit until a long term solution is put in place for orthopaedic surgery in Galway,” he said.

NINE artworks from NUI Galway’s art collection will be on display in the Irish Embassy in Paris for two years.

The exhibition, Looking West – Súil Siar – Vues de l’Ouest, will be open to the public in the art gallery of the Quadrangle  from the 21–24 February, from 12–4pm, before it departs for its temporary home in the French capital.

It will be the first exhibition of a body of work from the collection to travel overseas. The artworks will go on display in the Embassy building, which is located close to the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris.

Fionnuala Gallagher, Arts Officer at NUI Galway, said: “It is a special treat to have these artworks on display in such a beautiful, light-filled building, in the heart of Paris. We hope that the paintings settle in well and that they inspire further exchanges between Ireland and France and between artist and viewer.”

The Embassy chose the nine artworks from a curated list of 20 pieces (ten by living artists and ten by deceased artists) with a connection to the West of Ireland.

They represent the variety and originality of NUI Galway’s substantial art collection.

Looking West offers a unique glimpse into modern and traditional Irish art, from Grace Henry and her contemporary Lily Williams via Gerard Dillon, John O’Leary and Brian Bourke to young artist Moira Comiskey.

It captures the changing Irish landscape, weather and soul, with places and portraits in styles ranging from realism to abstraction and media across painting, drawing and printmaking.

The opening reception with Gearóid Ó Conluain, An Rúnaí of NUI Galway with special guest Honorary Consul Catherine Gagneux will take place on Wednesday, 21 February, at 12 noon.

Galway County Council is urging drivers to exercise extreme care when driving on roads which have been reopened after flooding. The roads have been reopened as they are passable.

The council says that they will be monitored and may be closed again at a later date.

The L8528 at Carrowbaun has been reclosed due to flooding.