Lorient delegation’s visit to Galway hailed as ‘great success’

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May 18, 2022

Walkers, joggers and runners will take to Cappagh Park in Knocknacarra this Saturday at 9.30am to celebrate the parkrun’s eighth birthday.

Knocknacarra Parkrun was the first to take place in Galway in May 2014, and there are now five other parkruns in the county – in Oranmore, Oughterard, Clonbur Woods, Coole Park and Portumna.

Taking place over 327 Saturday mornings at 9.30am over the past eight years, thousands of people have either walked or ran more than 153 million meters in total, which is more than four times the circumference of the earth.

Nobody comes last at parkrun because there is always a tail walker making sure everyone gets around safely, and they are the last to finish.

There are also two junior parkruns for 4 to 14-year-olds that take place on Sunday mornings at 9.30am in Renville Park, Oranmore and Westside Playing Fields.

All are welcome to join for free by visiting www.parkrun.ie/register and participants should bring along their barcode to the parkrun of their choice.

Search for missing man in Offaly ends after body found

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May 18, 2022

Galway Daily news Woman (80s) dies following car crash two weeks ago

The search for missing man Martin O’Conor has been stood down following the discovery of a body in Co. Offaly.

Gardaí had appealed to the public for assistance in tracing the 32-year-old who had been missing from his home since Sunday 15 May.

The search ended after a body of a male was discovered near Clara in Co. Offaly on Tuesday.

An Garda Síochána thanked the public and the media for their assistance in this matter.

Strike to cause significant disruption to Galway hospitals today

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May 18, 2022

There will be significant disruption and delays in hospitals across the country until 8pm today due to medical laboratory staff going on strike.

The Industrial Action by the MLSA will affect many inpatient and day case elective procedures as well as hospital outpatient appointments.

All routine GP testing services are to be suspended, and while some limited services will continue, there will be wide scale disruption to patients.

Emergency Departments already experienced the knock on effect of the action yesterday, as GPs could not send routine lab tests to hospitals and instead had to refer patients directly to emergency departments.

This led to delays for patients with non-urgent care needs and these delays are expected to continue today.

The HSE is continuing to seek further derogations relating to patients in hospitals for priority scopes.

Emergency Departments will continue as always to prioritise the treatment of the sickest and most urgent patients

Since Monday, hospitals have been contacting patients directly to cancel appointments.

As this is a developing situation, Saolta has asked patients not to phone hospitals at this time.

Hospitals will provide further clarity and details as soon as possible and information from all hospitals is available on hse.ie /disruptions

While efforts are continuing to try to avert this action, the HSE is working with the MLSA to ensure arrangements are in place today for the provision of a limited range of services safely.

Appointments and procedures disrupted by the strikes will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Television delegates from across Europe descending on Galway

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May 17, 2022

More than 200 delegates from across Europe will travel to Galway this month for an annual conference on regional television.

TG4 will play host to to the 38th CIRCOM Regional Conference, an association of regional public service television broadcasters in Europe.

As the media world globalises, regional broadcasters and regional storytellers offer a unique position as guardians and exponents of the true values of public service broadcasting.

Demand for audiovisual content and the value of public service media is stronger than ever despite changing audience viewing habits.

The three-day conference will feature topics of related to the sustainability of journalism, and regional areas: Creative economies, digital transformation, reaching young audiences, climate coverage in news, and PSB prominence.

It will also look at the role regional public service broadcasters can play in influencing the cultural and economic vibrancy.

Director-General of TG4 Alan Esslemont said “I congratulate all those at CIRCOM who have been involved in shaping this year’s key conference topics”.”

“He added that the programme for the conference is “compelling and forward-looking”, and that he looks forward to the discussion generated by these topics.

“As our media world globalises and becomes more homogenous, I believe that regional broadcasters and regional storytellers will move to centre-stage as guardians and exponents of the true values of public service broadcasting.”

Conference speakers include: RTÉ’s Cormac Ó hEadhra, Irish Satirist and Podcaster Blindboyboatclub; Senior News Reporter at Vice World News Sophia Smith Galer; Nergiz Nora Westerbergh, Head of Digital at Sweden’s SVT News; Máirín Ní Ghadhra, RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta; Páidí Ó Lionáird, Nuacht TG4; Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile formerly of Sky News and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta; and Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of Western Development Commission.

The three day conference will take place in Galway City this month, from May 25-27.

The keynote on the Creative Economy will be from John Newbigin OBE, a special advisor to the UK Minister for Culture, Rt Hon Chris Smith MP.

He was closely involved in developing the UK government’s first policies for the creative industries in the 1990s.

The topic of how PSBs ensure Climate is kept top of the agenda will be discussed with Erika Bjerström who was appointed as the first ever Global Climate Correspondent at Swedish National Television.

She will be joined by Tara Peterman award-winning journalist and Executive Producer of RTÉ’s Climate Change coverage.

Two free electronic waste collections this week

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May 17, 2022

Galway Daily news Free electrical waste collection event in Galway this weekend

Free electronic waste collections will take place at two location in Connemara this week.

WEEE Ireland and the county council are organising collections at Lettermore and Carna.

They will both take place this Thursday, May 19, from 10am to 1pm in Carna, and from 4pm to 7pm in Lettermore.

This is an opportunity for county households to get free recycling of anything with a plug or battery.

Any household waste electrical items, batteries, or energy saving lightbulbs will be accepted.

This extends to electronic waste of any size, whether it is a phone or a fridge.

Wildlife protection bill left in “never never land” says Galway TD

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May 17, 2022

Galway Daily news Eamon Ó Cuív: Cocaine usage a "national scourge" across society

Galway TD Eamon Ó Cuív has said that the a bill meant to expand the list of protected animals in Ireland has been left in “never never land” since the election.

Pressing the Taoiseach in the Dáil, Deputy Ó Cuív said that, despite passing its first Dáil and Seanad stages, the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2021 has been left in limbo.

He said that this bill had already come back to the Dáil with Seanad amendments, before the “general election intervened”, and no progress has been made since.

“I note that the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is on the list of other Bills, that is, the Bills in never-never land,” Eamon Ó Cuív said.

“Will the Taoiseach explain why this Bill, which has already been passed by the Dáil and the Seanad and was just awaiting a few amendments to be cleared by the Dáil, is not on the priority list and does not get reintroduced and quickly become law?”

The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2021 would add the Basking Shark to the schedule of protected animals.

This would make it a criminal offence to intentionally kill or injure basking sharks in Irish water.

The bill was the result of a review of national heritage areas, which was carried out in 2014.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he would consult with the Minister and get back to Deputy Ó Cuív, adding that the government has taken “very significant initiative” on wildlife matters.

“We are very anxious about the protection of biodiversity, which is central to this,” Micheál Martin said.

He added that the country needs to “get a grip” on protecting biodiversity and the climate change agenda, which Ireland must contribute to.

NUI Galway holding information day for Ukrainians

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May 17, 2022

NUI Galway is holding an information day for Ukrainians this week, on the education and employment opportunities open to them.

The event, organised by the University of Sanctuary Steering Committee, will take place at the ILAS building this Thursday from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Information provided on the day will include pathways into further and higher education, as well as courses at NUI Galway, and employment opportunities.

Translators will be available on the day to facilitate communication with people who might not have English.

NUI Galway also hope to have a representative from Maynooth’s dedicated National Student and Researchers Helpdesk to answer any additional enquiries.

Registration for this free event can be done online via eventbrite.

The ILAS building can be found off the Upper Newcastle Road, adjacent to the Goldcrest and Corrib Village student accommodation complexes.

Hospital lab scientists to go on strike tomorrow

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May 17, 2022

Galway Daily news No Monkeypox cases reported in Galway to date

Medical scientists at hospitals in Galway, and around the country, will be going on strike tomorrow, with more planned for the coming weeks.

The Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, representing over 2,000 members nationwide, is to stage a one day strike on Wednesday, May 18.

The MLSA said in a statement that “Due to the failure of the employer side to issue a proposal that the union could put to its members, the Executive Committee has voted to serve industrial action notice on the HSE and section 38 employers today.”

The decision follows on from a meeting with the HSE and Department of Health which took place on April 27.

The one-day strike tomorrow is currently scheduled to be followed by more work stoppages on Tuesday & Wednesday, May 24-25.

It will then escalate to a three day strike during the following week on May 31 – June 2.

The MLSA is an affiliate of SIPTU which represents medical scientists providing laboratory services in the HSE, public and private hospitals, universities, and laboratories.

In a statement, the union said that negotiations with the government had failed, and that industrial action was the only way to achieve pay parity.

“The MLSA has made every effort to avoid taking industrial action, because of the serious impact it will have on the health service and on patient care, and to protect benefits already held by members.”

The union said that “lengthy negotiations” took place, but that they were unable to resolve their claims.

“it is now clear that without industrial action we cannot achieve our longstanding goal and rightful expectation of parity with clinical biochemists, as recommended by the 2001 Expert Group and accepted by the HSE and Department of Health.”

Water outages in Glenamaddy and surrounds after pump failure

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May 17, 2022

Galway Daily news Moycullen water outage

Water outages affecting homes and businesses in Glenamaddy and surrounding areas are expected to continue into Tuesday night.

Irish Water has said that “essential works” following a pump failure in Glenamaddy are scheduled to last until 8pm this evening.

These may cause low pressure or water outages in Glenamaddy Town, on the Kilkerrin Road, Creggs Road, and to customers supplied by Knockmascahill Group Water Scheme.

Typically it takes two to three hours following the completion of works for normal supply to be fully restored to all areas.

Rónan Daly of Irish Water said that they understand that this kind of work can be very inconvenient for people..

“Working in partnership with Galway County Council, we will make every effort to minimise the disruption that these necessary works may cause.”

He added that “customers may experience some temporary discolouration of water following the works and occasionally issues such as internal airlocks may arise.”

Updates can be found on Irish Water’s supply and service website page.

Mobile gaming is thriving, but which titles are most popular in Ireland?

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Angela Mc Bride

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May 17, 2022

Alongside capturing high-quality images for social media platforms like Instagram and using instant messaging services such as WhatsApp for daily conversations, mobile gaming is a hugely popular option on a modern-day smartphone device. In fact, games account for 43% of all smartphone use, with the active number of mobile gamers worldwide said to be at over 2.2 billion at the time of writing.

In Ireland, the gaming opportunities for the public are just as good as they are anywhere else on the planet. The country is even producing its own releases thanks to some Irish-based games developers, alongside having the opportunity to download global hits such as Candy Crush Saga and Among Us. There are even Irish-themed titles, too, with people accessing browser games such as 9 Pots of Gold and other casino releases. Put simply; there’s an extensive selection of smartphone games for Irish gamers to tuck into in 2022. But what are the most popular mobile games in the country right now?

Console-quality titles have elevated mobile gaming’s package further

Given the power and sophistication of devices made by the likes of Apple and Samsung possess, games developers have been able to up the ante accordingly and release more detailed games are a result. Most impressively of all, many console games have been adapted for mobile and have thrived in recent times, especially if gamers purchase additional accessories to improve the all-round gaming experience on offer, with joysticks and VR headsets being particularly popular since their creation. In terms of the console-quality games that have made a successful transition over to mobile and are in demand in Ireland, they include the likes of Minecraft, Football Manager 2022, PUBG Mobile, and Call of Duty: Mobile.

Free games are also favoured

Another key reason behind mobile gaming’s noticeable growth has to be down to its affordability, especially when factoring in the cost of alternative options, such as a PlayStation 5, and the spiralling costs of purchasing one in 2022. For many people, especially at the moment with the cost of living going up, mobile gaming represents a cheaper and more affordable option. In fact, many mobile games are either incredibly cheap or completely free, making it a worthwhile gaming option for most Irish people, especially when you factor in that the vast majority of the population own a smartphone device in the modern world anyway. The most popular free games being downloaded on iOS and Android in Ireland right now are Tall Man Run, Subway Surfers, Airport Security, Wordle!, Decor Life – Home Design Game, Count Masters – Stickman Cash, and Fill The Fridge.

Pokemon Go has gripped Ireland

A game that perhaps best sums up mobile gaming’s evident progress is Pokemon Go. Although the game was released in 2016, it is still being played by millions of gamers around the world, Ireland included. The game’s augmented reality aspect is mightily impressive, enabling gamers to immerse themselves in an outdoor environment as they hunt down specific Pokemon, take down gyms, battle against fellow trainers, hatch eggs, and a whole lot more. Pokemon Go has changed the landscape of mobile gaming, with more and more augmented reality titles expected to come to the fore in the future. We have seen other games crop up since Pokemon Go’s undoubted success, although in the case of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, it didn’t quite go to plan. Pokemon Go, on the other hand, is one of the biggest games ever made.

Other popular games

Other go-to games for Irish players include Coin Master, Roblox, Geometry Dash and Clash of Clans.

Local community projects honoured at all-Ireland community awards

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May 17, 2022

galway daily news galway groups honoured at community awards in kerry — Claddagh Watch Patrol, Galway City members pictured with Peter Sheridan – Chief Executive, Co-operation Ireland, left and Enda Devine, Executive Director at IPB Insurance, right at the IPB Pride of Place awards in the INEC, Killarney on May 16th 2022. Photo; Don MacMonagle

Galway community projects have been honoured at the all-Ireland Pride of Place community awards which took place in Killarney on Monday evening.

Within the City Council area, Tuatha of Terryland Forest Park voluntary group took top spot in the Creative Place Initiative category, while the Claddagh Watch Patrol were runners-up in the Community Resilience category.

In the County Council area, the Headford Lace Project came second in the Creative Place Initiative category.

Killannin Development Committee just missed out after being nominated in the Community Wellbeing Initiative category.

The awards, hosted by RTE’s Marty Whelan, took place in Kerry’s INEC centre with 400 community volunteers in attendance.

Sponsored by IPB Insurance, the Pride of Place competition began 19 years ago though a Co-operation Ireland programme to honour the work of volunteers.

It has grown into the largest competition recognising community development achievements on the island of Ireland.

President Michael D. Higgins, who is Joint Patron of Co-operation Ireland, said that the awards played an important role.

“The Pride of Place awards are a most important initiative, reminding us that creating societies that are ethical and inclusive is a task for all of our citizens, of all ages and circumstances,” he said.

Pride of Place founder and Chairman Tom Dowling said that the Awards continue to be as important as ever.

“The purpose of the awards has never changed,” he said.

“They are about recognising and celebrating the extraordinary, inspirational, and tireless work being done by communities all over the island of Ireland as they strive to make their place a better place in which to live.”

Athenry ‘eyesore’ to be toppled following demolition order

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May 17, 2022

A derelict property in Athenry described as an ‘eyesore’ will be demolished by Galway County Council following a ruling of Loughrea District Court last week.

Judge James Faughnan made an order under the Sanitary Services Act for the immediate demolition of the property.

Local Sinn Féin representative Louis O’Hara said the building has been an ‘eyesore for many years’ and has been left in a very dangerous condition.

He said that it detracts from the appearance of Athenry town centre and that this ruling is long overdue.

“It simply isn’t good enough for properties like this to be left empty and derelict in our town centres and we need to see more action taken to address this growing problem,” said O’Hara.

“The introduction of effective vacant and derelict property taxes and a greater focus from Galway County Council on identifying derelict sites and collecting levies are examples of measures that would encourage property owners not to neglect their sites.”

O’Hara said that this is a growing problem in towns and villages across Galway and while it is welcome that this property will be demolished it is important that Galway County Council pursue other vacant and derelict properties across the County.

Powerful dance and dramatic performance to premiere in Galway this week

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May 17, 2022

galway daily news the village dance show at the spanish arch in galway city — Spotted at the Spanish Arch in Galway members of Ériu Dance company rehearsing a scene from their new show “The Village” ahead of its world premiere at Black Box Theatre, Galway, this Friday, May 20th. See tht.ie Photo:Andrew Downes, Xposure.

A powerful new dance and dramatic performance The Village will have its premiere at Black Box Theatre this Friday, 20 May.

The performance is by one of Ireland’s leading dance companies, Ériu, in partnership with Town Hall Theatre, and has been two years in the making.

A trailer video has been released this week to give audiences a glimpse into the performance.

The show follows the story of five strangers who assemble on a hill, overlooking the town they all grew up in.

As their stories unfold the show breaks into a series of explosive and hypnotic dance routines, intertwined with dark and powerful confessional monologues.

As the characters reveal their stories and exorcise their personal demons, the audience is faced with a dissolving sense of reality.

The high-octane choreography is performed over the course of the 70-minute show to a blend of traditional, contemporary, and electronic music.

Breandán de Gallaí, Artistic Director of Ériu, is inviting audiences to come and be inspired.

“We’re excited to be bringing ‘The Village’ to the Black Box for its world premiere,” said Breandán.

“At Ériu we strive to push the boundaries of the Irish dance tradition and “The Village” is no exception.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for those who may not have been to a contemporary dance performance before to come and experience something fresh and inspiring that will challenge any preconceptions of what dance can be.”

Established in 2010, Ériu dance company aims to push the boundaries of the Irish dance tradition with a view to challenging and developing audiences for the genre.

Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, the company’s founder Breandán de Gallaí began his professional career as a principal dancer with Riverdance in 1994.

Tickets are available here.

Govt should limit electricity price increases to 4% says PBP

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May 17, 2022

Galway Daily news Number on Pandemic Unemployment in Galway drops below 20,000

People Before Profit has warned that people are facing a new price hike on electricity, gas and mortgages, which will see inflation rise above the already high 7%.

The party’s Galway representative Adrian Curran pointed out that the French government has limited increases in electricity prices to 4%.

He said that there is no reason why Irish government could not impose similar price controls.

“SSE Airtricity has increased electricity prices by 24% from May 1, affecting 250,000 customers. It will add another €338 to their annual household bill,” said Mr Curran.

“Gas is also going up again as Russia threatens to cut off Europe from supplies. Since 2020, gas prices have already risen by 80%.”

He said that the Central Bank is due to increase interest rates which will lead to an estimated €1,000 extra per year in re-payments for many.

“Meanwhile, this government does nothing,” he said.

As well as limiting increases in electricity prices, Curran said the government could also order banks to reduce the high mortgage rates that Irish homeowners already pay.

“They could also reverse policies that have put profiteering ahead of the needs of people. We need to mobilise to demand action. People Before Profit are fully supporting the Cost of Living Coalition protests on June 18th.”

Galway Rural Development praised for Joint Oireachtas Committee presentation

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May 16, 2022

Galway Rural Development has been praised for its presentation before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Communities and Rural Development and the Islands last week.

The Committee spent much of Wednesday and Thursday reviewing the challenges that Tús and the Rural Social Scheme are currently facing and the call for collective discussions to resolve these issues.

Clement Shevlin, Strategic Organiser of SIPTU, credited Galway Rural Development’s RSS and Tús officers for forward what he described as “a very concise and thought-provoking contribution” to the Dáil committee.

Speaking to the Committee, Liz Macdonald, Supervisor of GRD’s Rural Social Scheme, said that the RSS is a unique programme that provides financial support to low-income farmers to sustain their livelihood, and in return they contribute enormously to rural groups.

“It was important to express its value in rural Ireland so that TDs understand both the issues, and the potential for the scheme,” she said.

“Tús too is such an invaluable programme. The benefits of both schemes for participants include a stable income, better mental health and wellbeing, and the provision of training and up-skilling, while simultaneously providing direct benefit to local communities by allowing participants support charities and community organisations to maintain their services.”

That view was echoed by Senior Manager of the RSS and Tús programmes at GRD, Sean Broderick.

“Today was a significant day and we were proud to make the case for community groups, rural dwellers, and our participants.

“It is important that the schemes get the support they deserve, and that the Supervisors of these schemes have adequate supports, pay and conditions.”

Commenting for GRD after the meeting, Sean Larkin highlighted that GRD are among the largest programme operators in the country so feel an acute responsibility to highlight the areas needing intervention.

Among these is the need to broaden the rules on the schemes to allow greater participation, thereby allowing for a greater contribution back to communities.

Issues on the pay and conditions for Supervisors and Participants were also raised.

“The role of Supervisors on the RSS and Tús Schemes has developed over the years and, with that, the amount of administration required has grown,” said Sean.

“This increase in workload is not reflected with pay and this needs attention.”

The areas of pension, maternity leave, and more were also discussed.

Croí to host webinar on heart failure next week

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May 16, 2022

Galway Daily news Galway man tells harrowing tale of heart transplant and recovery

Local Croí heart and stroke charity Croí is hosting a webinar next week for those with heart failure to learn how to manage the condition.

This free webinar will take place online on Zoom on Thursday, 26 May from 7pm until 8pm.

Expert guest speakers on the night will include Dr John Barton, Heart Failure Consultant at GUH, Emer Burke, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at GUH, and Ian Burnett, who is living with heart failure and will share his patient perspective.

Special guest moderator on the night will be Aistė Štaraitė, a heart failure patient and Chair of the Global Heart Hub Heart Failure Patient Council, of which Croí is a founding Affiliate.

The interactive panel discussion will address questions about living with heart failure.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body as well as it should. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working, but it means that the body is not getting the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to function normally.

“Heart Failure is a serious chronic condition, but it doesn’t have to stop you from living,” said Dr Lisa Hynes, Croí’s Head of Health Programmes.

“There are lots of things that you can do to help manage your condition, including medical treatments, adjusting your lifestyle, and self-management.”

This event is in recognition of International Heart Failure Awareness Week (May 9 – 15).

Register now and submit your questions at www.croi.ie/webinar, or call Croí on 091-544310.

Minister marks one year since first hybrid double-decker buses in Galway

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May 16, 2022

galway daily double decker buses green yellow city — PIC JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Galway West TD Hildegard Naughton has today marked the first year since the introduction of hybrid double-deck buses to Bus Éireann’s Galway fleet.

By this week, the buses will have delivered 200,000 kilometres of emission-free public transport in the city, saving almost 230 tonnes of carbon tailpipe emissions.

The first hybrid bus in the new green and yellow Transport for Ireland livery arrived in Galway in May 2021, with the full city fleet of swapped over to hybrid by September – 40 vehicles in total.

The new buses have been very well-received by customers and drivers and offer benefits including quieter operation and cleaner air to everyone in the city.

Galway West Fine Gael TD and Minister at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton, said that the government is committed to leading by example in decarbonising the transport sector.

“Providing reliable bus services by way of environmentally-friendly buses is key to encouraging more people to use public transport for work, education, leisure and other purposes,” said Minister Naughton.

“The fleet is also helping to improve air quality in the city, which has obvious health benefits.”

The Galway TD said that she is delighted that Galway has proven the benefits of this technology, and that she is looking forward to the continued roll-out of clean, green transport systems in all parts of the country.

The National Transport Authority has committed that no new diesel-only buses will be put into operation in Ireland’s urban areas.

Brian Connolly, Senior Operations Manager West, Bus Éireann, said that because of the buses having an electric drivetrain to connect the transmission to the axles, they have gained valuable in-service experience on the road and in the garage.

“This is proving very helpful as we plan with the NTA for Athlone’s town service to switch over to a fully-electric zero emissions fleet,” he said.

“Having Galway city as an entirely hybrid operation has been really positive for Bus Éireann, our customers and for the city as a whole.”

Fuel Allowance payment announced today is ‘not enough’ says Galway TD

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May 16, 2022

galway daily news claire kerrane at dáil child maintenance

Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane has said that the additional €100 payment to Fuel Allowance recipients will give relief to only a limited number of households.

Minister Heather Humphreys announced this morning that over 370,000 households will benefit from the €100 payment, which is the equivalent to over three weeks Fuel Allowance.

The total cost of the extra payment amounts to €37.1 million, which is paid out of the Exchequer.

Deputy Kerrane said that any additional measure to support households is welcome – but that the payment does not go far enough.

The Sinn Féin TD said many workers and families are seriously struggling to make ends meet, and they are excluded from receiving an additional payment for energy costs.

“Yet again there are no measures to support these households, despite soaring household energy costs affecting homes everywhere,” she said.

“That is why Sinn Féin called for the establishment of a Discretionary Fund to assist households, including those who are locked out of the Fuel Allowance, with utility debt.

“This call is reiterated by the Society of St Vincent de Paul who, like us, do not agree that the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is enough.”

The Roscommon-Galway TD said that last week, she dealt with a Family Carer who was refused financial assistance through the ENP to help with home heating oil, because she received a payment six months ago.

“Supports like the Exceptional Needs Payment need to be flexible. However, cases like this show exactly why we are not confident it is enough to support families and workers.

“The Government have also refused to provide support to households who rely on home heating oil, the cost of which has increased by €1,000 in the last year and continues to rise,” she added.

Hundreds of cyclists Lap the Lake in charity appeal

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May 16, 2022