SIX HUNDRED and eighty-one people were waiting on trolleys throughout January at University Hospital Galway – the highest number on record for the first month of the year.

January saw sixty-three more people on trolleys than in the same month last year, and it is a dramatic increase from January 2006, when just 155 were on trolleys.

The latest figures released by the INMO show that January was the worst on record for many hospitals around the country, with a national increase of 18% on last January.

Speaking today, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, INMO General Secretary said: “This is an incredible level of overcrowding and the appalling conditions experienced in Emergency Departments are now beyond anything we have ever seen.

“It now amounts to a humanitarian crisis for patients and a risk rich environment for those trying to work in such chaotic conditions.”

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said that nurses in Emergency Departments and throughout hospitals are now working in appalling conditions.

“Health employers have completely fallen down on their statutory obligation to provide a safe place of work.”

Ms Ni Sheaghdha also pointed out that Section 8 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act requires employers to carry out risk assessments and put in place mitigating measures to avoid those risks.

“Section 11 specifically describes the duties of the employer in relation to emergencies and serious and imminent dangers to their staff,” she said.

Cillian Murphy spoke at NUI Galway today to 200 secondary school students about the importance of empathy in his work as an actor, as part of Youth Empathy Day.

The Transition Year students from six secondary schools in Galway, Dublin and Tipperary gathered in NUI Galway for the event hosted by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.

All of the students are taking part in a new pilot education programme called Activating Social Empathy, which supports adolescents to learn empathy in schools.

Actor and Patron of the Centre, Cillian Murphy spoke to the students about the importance of empathy in his work as an actor.

Students attending the Youth Empathy Day travelled from CBC Monkstown in Dublin; Comeragh College, County Tipperary; Grange Community College, Donaghmede, County Dublin; Dominican College Galway; Stratford College, Rathfarnham, Dublin and Galway Community College.

Speaking about the event, Cillian Murphy said: “You can’t really be an actor without employing empathy as a very important tool in your arsenal.

“If I can help young people to see that everyone has a different story and everyone’s story is valuable, hopefully that will help them in the future.

“It’s helping kids help themselves.

“It seems to me that if we’re going to help or encourage young people to behave in a certain way, then they should be at the forefront of it, and they should be telling us how they feel and telling us what they need, which is what this day is about.”

 Photo: Jason Clarke

Professor John Laffey was one of five recipients of the Science Foundation Ireland ‘President of Ireland Future Research Leaders Awards’ – worth a whopping €1.54 million.

Laffey, Professor of Anaesthesia at the School of Medicine in NUI Galway, was honoured by President Michael D. Higgins at a special ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin.

Professor Laffey is also a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Galway University Hospital.

His basic and translational research is focused on critical illnesses, particularly sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

His major research focus is the investigation of the therapeutic potential of cell therapies for these devastating illnesses.

Commenting on his prestigious award, worth €1.54 million, Professor John Laffey, said: “This Future Research Leaders Award will enable me to relocate my research group to CÚRAM, joining a dynamic group of researchers with leading edge expertise in regenerative medicine, immunology and tissue engineering.

“This world class environment will facilitate the discovery of the potential for stem cells to enhance the response of the immune system to severe sepsis,” he said.

Congratulating Professor Laffey on his award, Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM at NUI Galway, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have someone of John’s calibre join the team at CÚRAM. His experience and expertise will help drive the research agenda at the centre and fits exactly with the strategic aims of CÚRAM, to improve quality of life for patients living with chronic illness.”

A Galway West Senator has hit out at Galway County Council and Galway City Council for their treatment of Travellers in Galway.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh was speaking in the Seanad when he said that members of the Travelling community, including sick children, are treated in a disgraceful manner.

“In the past, we have seen the recognition of Traveller ethnicity but on the ground, and particularly in Galway city, one sees an appalling situation where young Traveller families with children who are quite ill, and who come under both brackets of disability and Traveller, are treated in a disgraceful manner,” Senator Ó Clochartiagh said.

“They are not being provided with proper accommodation.  It is a damning indictment of Galway City Council and Galway County Council that they have not put any appropriate accommodation in place for those families. It is really important,” the Independent Senator said.

Ó Clochartaigh also brought up the issue of direct provision, saying that it has nothing to do with there being a backlog of applications, but that the system in itself is'”an abuse of human rights’.

“This House and the other House need to take that on board and ensure that we address these issues around the direct provision system and put in place another, proper system,” he said.

Catherine Connolly TD has said that a lack of appropriate governance structures is one of the reasons behind the closure of Time 4 Us which is due to happen by the end of March.

The Galway West TD says she contacted both the Board of the service and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone to clarify the situation.

In response to Deputy Connolly’s question the Minister confirmed the background of the service and the number of families using it, unfortunately however the reply didn’t deal with the kernel of the question, namely what plans have been put in place to ensure that Time4Us remains open.

The response from a member of the Board of Time4Us confirmed that the core difficulties are the lack of appropriate governance structures along with appropriate skill mix on the Board.

Deputy Connolly said that these reasons, while important, should not lead to the closure of this essential service but should be dealt with in a practical and pragmatic manner.

In the event and given the outcry at the proposed closure, the directors arranged a meeting with the elected representatives of Galway last Monday with a view to further clarification on the matter.

Cartherine Connolly TD said that it was agreed by all present that a solution has to be found to keep this service open. In this regard Deputies Catherine Connolly, Hildegarde Naughten and Anne Rabbitte agreed to raise the proposed closure as a matter of urgency in the Dáil. Minister of State Seán Kyne agreed to arrange an urgent meeting with Minister Katherine Zappone and the Directors of the service are to have a meeting with Galway representatives in the next few weeks.