A further 3,428 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported by health officials this afternoon.
As of 8am today, 478 people with COVID-19 patients are hospitalised nationally, of whom 75 are in intensive care units.
The Department of Health has said that the daily case numbers may change due to future data validation.
A total of 3,685 new cases were reported in the State yesterday, Saturday.
Suspicions abound on all sides and Caoilfhionn plans a heist in the name of justice in Ros na Rún.
Caoilfhionn has set herself the task of obtaining the tape showing Briain assaulting
Sorcha, but how will she slip it out from under Tony’s watchful eye.
Noreen is shocked by Dee’s suicide attempt but soon suspects that all is not what
it seems, while Dee has some realisations of her own to make.
Colm suspects that Alex may be here to rekindle her romance with him, and fears that this may lead to Charlie and the baby’s departure.
Rónán is happy to finally have gained Bobbi Lee’s approval. But when fifty euro
goes missing from the till he wonders if she’s testing.
Paranoid and pressured, he announced that he’s leaving, much to the shock of Bobbi Lee.
Briain’s initial relief at Berni’s allegations going no further is cut short when his other sins bite him in the ass.
All of this and more from this week’s episodes of Ros na Rún, on screen in a double feature omnibus on TG4 at 7:30pm on Sunday.
One man was taken to hospital due to his injuries following a crash in Loughrea on Saturday evening.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a collision on the Dublin Road, Loughrea yesterday.
The crash, involving two vehicles, took place at approximately 5:40pm on Saturday.
One man in his late 50s was taken to University Hospital Galway for treatment of his injuries.
The road involved in this collision is currently open for use.
The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Galway rose by seven in the final week of October to 144, new CSO data shows.
The median age of the deaths from COVID in Galway also fell from 82 to 81 in the week ending 29 October.
Galway is still the county with the lowest median age for its COVID cases, at 28 years. Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 20,447 cases have been recorded in the county.
The total number of cases recorded in the county rose by 1,521 in the week to October 29.
Nationally, the number of cases that week was 14,707. Dublin (3,764) and Cork (1,689) had the highest number of new cases in the Republic.
Those aged 14 or younger accounted for 21% of cases, down 2% from the previous week.
NUI Galway has launched its Speak Out online tool for students and staff to anonymously report violence and harassment.
The platform is part of a new initiative in higher education institutions nationally to allow for increased recording and monitoring of incidents which will then be used to develop prevention, support and reporting.
Speak Out allows students and staff to record bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, coercive behaviour/control, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape.
NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said that the University is delighted to support the initiative and that it is symbolic of NUI Galway’s focus on ensuring it fulfils responsibilities for the public good.
“We are a respectful, open community, committed to welcoming and sustaining, in excellence, all the talents,” said Professor Ó hÓgartaigh.
“All members of the University community have the right to study or work in an environment free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.
“Speak Out empowers our community in reporting such incidents.”
Professor Ó hÓgartaigh encouraged people to do so, and to confront those elements of society that are unwelcome and unwelcoming and therefore in need of change.
The Speak Out tool is available for students and staff at NUI Galway at https://nuig.speakout.ie/
Developed for Ireland’s higher education sector, it is led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI), with the support of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Higher Education Authority.
The data collected through Speak Out will be used to inform policy and targeted educational initiatives.
It is the goal of PCHEI to provide a trauma-informed tool which will provide users with support services relevant to their experience.
This project is a groundbreaking initiative underpinned by an ethos of cross-institutional collaboration in response to such incidences within higher education institutions.
Gemma MacNally, from the NUI Galway Student Counselling Service, said: “We are proud to make the Speak Out tool available to our University community of students and staff.
“It is an important part of our institutional Action Plan to ensure that sexual violence and harassment become more visible and openly discussed.
“The Speak Out tool provides a new option for people to have their voices heard.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to work on other parts of our Action Plan, such as education and training on positive behaviours, supports, and the mutual respect that must underpin the NUI Galway experience.”
Galway’s Kylemore Abbey & Gardens was among 40 Irish tourism businesses at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London this week.
WTM typically heralds the beginning of Ireland’s promotional drive overseas for the year ahead.
Tourism Ireland’s aim is to stand out from the crowd, capturing the attention of the global media and travel professionals in attendance.
This year, WTM is a hybrid event – the live event took place over three days this week, between 1 and 3 November, and the virtual meetings will take place on 8 and 9 November.
In all, some 77 tourism companies from Ireland will engage in important meetings with international tour operators – to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2022.
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said that as we restart tourism from overseas, they are delighted to attend the world’s largest travel fair.
He said that the representation of Irish companies at WTM is extremely welcome – and essential in the highly competitive international marketplace.
“Every destination across the globe has experienced the impact of COVID-19 and is now seeking its share of the recovery,” said Niall Gibbons.
“Tourism Ireland’s aim, therefore, is to stand out from the crowd and to capture the attention of the global media and travel professionals in attendance.
“Our ‘Green Button’ campaign is now under way and will reach 46 million people across Britain.
“It’s a really extensive, multi-channel campaign which is highlighting Ireland as a fantastic destination for a short break or holiday.
“Our message – and that of the entire Irish tourism industry – is very simple: we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back visitors from Great Britain and elsewhere around the world.
“Together with our industry partners, we will undertake our most extensive marketing campaign ever in 2022.”
Horse racing has a long and illustrious history having been around for hundreds of years now. But when did horse racing become so popular? If we take a look back into history, evidence suggests that horse racing first became popular with ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks and Romans loved nothing more than watching chariots race one another in arenas.
Since then, horse racing has continued to grow in popularity. It is now the second most popular sport in the world, after football.
Thanks to its popularity, many countries have chosen to create several horse racing events for the fans. Some of the best horse racing events take place in Ireland, Britain, and Australia. If you want to know more about the horse racing events in these countries, then keep reading below:
Many people refer to Ireland as one of the best horse racing countries in the world, Not only does Ireland have an enormous number of great trainers and jockeys, but it also hosts some of the finest horse racing events. Here are some of the horse racing events that take place in Ireland:
Similar to Ireland, there are lots of amazing horse racing events that take place in Britain. Thanks to the sheer number of events, it can be hard for fans to choose which one to attend. However, there are three horse racing events in Britain that all horse racing fans should attend. These include:
Every year, several prestigious horse racing events take place in Australia, with competitors travelling from all around the world to take part. Here are some of the best:
Horse racing is a global sport and there are horse racing events around the world for horse racing enthusiasts to watch and bet on. However, not all horse racing events are equal. Some countries host much better horse racing events than others. But how do you know which events are the best?
If you speak to horse racing enthusiasts, most of them would agree that the best horse racing events take place in Ireland, Britain, and Australia. The horse racing events in these countries aren’t only better organized, but they’re also more enjoyable for fans too. From the Melbourne Cup which takes place in Australia, to Royal Ascot which takes place in the UK, which event would be your favourite?
A major rural development initiative has been announced in Mountbellew by Galway Rural Development (GRD).
‘Smart Villages’ aims to enhance cooperation, new alliances and funding for rural areas across the county.
A capacity crowd attended Mountbellew Pastoral Centre last month to discuss the potential for the town as a ‘Smart Village’ destination, with Mountbellew District Development Association and Galway Telework leading the way.
GRD has now confirmed Mountbellew as its pilot location in County Galway with MEP Maria Walsh visiting the town in recent days to acknowledge the news.
The national Smart Villages plan is a collaboration between three local development companies; Galway Rural Development, Kilkenny Leader Partnership, and IRD Duhallow, and will be rolled-out this winter across the country.
Sixteen regions in the country and twelve local development companies will be involved in the programme.
CEO of Galway Rural Development, Steve Dolan described it as “a game-changer for rural areas, in-keeping with the aims of Our Rural Future, and offering a proven record of success across the European Union in terms of cultural and economic growth and regeneration.”
“Smart Villages are communities in rural areas using innovative solutions to improve their resilience for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
“Across the EU, ‘Smart Villages’ have implemented improvements to the lives of millions of rural dwellers in terms of their economic, social, environmental, and cultural lives – including through mobilising digital technologies and the potential in Mountbellew is self-evident.”
Senior Manager of GRD’s LEADER team Conor Carty added that the Smart Villages concept brings a ‘fresh approach’ and opens up new opportunities to improve the sustainability of rural areas.
“It aims to deliver on the promise of ‘a better life in rural areas’ and it reflects the principles and methods associated with ‘smart and competitive’ rural areas,” he said.
“As a start, Smart Village training has been developed to address the needs of rural communities and businesses in towns like Mountbellew.
“This training will help up-skill rural communities under a number of strategic themes in the areas of food, nature, towns, and transport.
“We will be out and about on the ground this winter and the guidance given will enable rural communities to get ready for future investment.”
MEP Maria Walsh and Senator Aisling Dolan were keen to acknowledge the potential for such an initiative in Mountbellew and praised the ambition.
Maria Walsh said: “Given my own background in community work, I am intimately familiar with LEADER and I am also well aware of the success of ‘Smart Villages’ across the EU so I’m delighted to see it embraced in Ireland – specifically here in East Galway.”
Senator Dolan said she looked forward to seeing the fruits of the work in East Galway over the coming months.
“Sharing ideas, sharing experience, and building intercommunity relationships are core concepts of Smart Villages,” she said.
“If we are to build a rural future for all of our citizens’ then proven initiatives like this will be key to our endeavours. I’m overjoyed to see this being led out of Mountbellew for the region.”
Aldi in Portumna will reopen its doors tomorrow, Sunday, after a €1 million renovation project which has completely refurbished the store.
The new ‘Project Fresh’ store has received a full makeover, offering a wide selection of fresh food at the front of the store, as well as hi-spec fixtures and fittings and new product category signs.
The store layout was recognised at the Checkout National Retail Supplier Awards, by scooping the Best New Store Build award for Aldi’s Ennistymon store – one of Aldi’s first Project Fresh stores.
Aldi operates nine stores in Co. Galway, employing over 230 full-time staff, spending over €10M on wages annually.
The supermarket chain is seeking to recruit 31 new employees for its Galway stores this year, including 26 permanent positions.
Speaking at the reopening, Portumna Store Manager Austin Mahony said that the Project Fresh revamp of the store is great news for local customers in Portumna.
“Its new spacious design makes for a very easy and enjoyable shop,” Austin said.
“Our commitment to our Galway customers is we will never be beaten on price and will always provide the best value.
“Our Swap and Save campaign continues and the goal of this campaign is to remind shoppers about the saving that can be generated by swapping their weekly shop to Aldi.”
Aldi has invested more than €3,000,000 in its Grow with Aldi supplier development programme since 2018, which offers up-and-coming artisan Irish food and drink producers the chance to have their products listed in Aldi’s 148 stores.
People of all ages and abilities have been invited to join Ireland’s first ever Cycle-Bus Festival at 11am tomorrow morning, 7 Sunday November, which is taking place in Galway city.
There will be musicians accompanying the big cycle-bus, as well as treats from Tribe Hospitality Group.
The cross-city cycle-bus will depart from outside the Quad at NUI Galway and enjoy a 4km route at a young child’s pace through Nun’s Island, over O’Brien’s Bridge to the Latin Quarter, looping around the Long Walk to Merchant’s Road, onto Eyre Square, and ending at Fisheries Field.
All are welcome to join: regular ‘passengers’ and volunteer marshals, families, friends, commuters, social cyclers, and people who are interested in joining, or starting, their own cycle-bus.
Reg Turner, organiser of East of the Corrib Cycle-Bus which began with just two families in May, said that this cycle-bus celebration is much needed in Galway. The original cycle-bus is now three years old.
“And since the pandemic ‘bike boom’, cycle-buses have popped up like wildflowers across the city, and nationwide too,” he said.
It was quickly followed by cycle-buses in Renmore and Salthill-Cappagh. There are now more than 20 cycle-buses across Ireland.
The four school cycle-buses that daily serve one third of all the city’s primary schools. Renmore Cycle-Bus pedals to Scoil Chaitríona and Gael Scoil Dara.
East of the Corrib Cycle-Bus cycles to St Nicholas’ Parochial School, Mercy Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School, Scoil Iognáid, and Scoil Fhursa.
The original Galway Cycle-Bus serves Knocknacarra NS and Gael Scoil Mhic Amhlaigh. Salthill-Cappagh Cycle-Bus rides to Cuan na Gaillimhe CNS.
Oranmore Cycle-Bus pedals to all of the village’s primary schools: Gael Scoil de hÍde, Scoil Íosaf Naofa, and Oranmore Girls National School.
Martina Callanan of Galway Cycling Campaign and volunteer marshall, said that cycle-buses exist because it is not safe on our roads for children to cycle with their siblings and friends to school without adults behaving as human shields between children on bikes and buses, SUVs, and lorries.
“We do not have safe cycle routes to school,” said Martina. “With the bottomless pit of active travel funding available from the government, we look forward to a network of child – and disability-friendly cycle routes making us extinct, and a generation of young people for whom cycling is a normal and unremarkable form of transport.”
The Department of Health has this afternoon reported a further 3,685 cases of COVID-19 in the State.
As of 8am today, 444 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised nationally, of whom 74 are in intensive care units.
Health officials have said that these daily case numbers may change due to future data validation.
There is just one COVID-19 patient in the intensive are unit at University Hospital Galway in the latest HSE figures.
There were 29 confirmed cases at UHG as of Friday night, and a further seven at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
This is an increase of one case at each of the two acute hospitals in Galway on the previous day.
Two of the patients at Portiuncula are in the ICU, but just one COVID patient is at University Hospital Galway.
Nationwide there were 425 patients hospitalised as of Friday night, of whom 76 are being treated in intensive care units.
The Saolta Hospital Group has been forced to cancel many elective procedures in their hospitals lately due to high levels of people coming to the emergency department, and the ongoing challenge of dealing with COVID cases.
Whether they’re short or long term, everyone has goals. And while some goals are easily achievable, others aren’t. If you’re having trouble reaching your goals, you need to hone in on what’s holding you back. Understandably, some people have trouble or give up for that matter, because of stress or lack of motivation. Fortunately, there are ways to reach your goals without suffering major setbacks. Here are some short-term goals to help get you into the proper mindset.
How you spend your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. You can get into the right mindset simply by having a routine. Make sure you’re waking up at the same time each morning. Give yourself enough time to eat breakfast and dress without having to rush. Doing so sets your intentions and also gives you time to think about ways to reach your goals.
Having sharp financial skills is key to living with less stress. As strange as it may sound, acquiring a term life insurance policy can be a lucrative short-term goal. This type of life insurance works differently than a whole policy. Instead of building up cash value over time, you’re given a set value, which gradually decreases as time goes on. You don’t need to wait until the policy expires or an unfortunate event to receive a payout. You can actually sell your term life insurance policy through either the company or a life settlement. There’s virtually no difference between these two methods other than who buys it. A life settlement has you dealing with a third-party buyer rather than the company.
Writing in a journal is somewhat of an underrated activity. Not only does it help you increase productivity and plan out your day, it also lets you sort out your thoughts, albeit positive or negative. A journal can also help you get through a potentially tough situation you’re currently in as it lets you really scrutinize the details and look for viable solutions. Even if it’s only for five minutes a day, write down what comes to mind and add to it over time.
Let’s be honest in that everyone has a bad habit they want to break. Whether it’s eating an unhealthy diet, waking up later than usual or smoking cigarettes, breaking a bad habit can help you reach larger goals. It takes about two weeks to break a bad habit and start good ones, so don’t get discouraged if you revert to old habits. Simply acknowledge your mistake and move on.
You also need to set a deadline to reach your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase net worth by finding ways to earn a passive income, don’t just say you’re going to do it. Set a date and then use the time leading up to it to reach mini milestones. Usually, this will give you even more incentive to reach your goals.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar visited Galway on Friday to formally open a state of the art expansion to GMIT, which will help create jobs in the region.
The Innovation Hub (iHub) extension and new Medical Imaging Suite are the latest additions to the Dublin Road campus at GMIT.
Tánaiste Varadkar said that these facilities are a “real boost” for present and future entrepreneurs in Galway and beyond.
“This new space will provide start-ups with the space and network to develop new ideas and collaborate with industry and their peers.”
“I think it’s a really exciting opportunity and I look forward to hearing about the success of companies who originated from here in the future.”
GMIT’s iHub has doubled in size to 2,400m2, accommodating hi-tech incubation space for eleven dedicated MedTech R&D units, and seven incubation units for start-ups,
It also now includes a co-working space, an events space, social hubs, and breakout meeting and networking areas.
Inside the building is GMIT’s new Medical Imaging Suite operated by the Enterprise Ireland Medical and Engineering Technology Gateway (MET).
The Medical Imaging Suite was installed over the summer to assist in training clinicians, staff, and students, as well as evaluating medical devices.
This new Philips Azurion 7 M20 fluoroscope provides state of the art imaging capabilities to industry, research and academic partners.
Manager of the Medical Imaging Suite Sharon White said that it “perfectly complements” existing expertise in “medical imaging, anatomical modelling and physiological replication”.
“Additionally, it provides our industry partners with access to facilities not readily available outside
Tánaiste Varadkar said that the past two years have shown the importance of having a thriving medtech sector in Ireland.
“We want to grow the industry further here and are providing the investment and infrastructure to make it happen.”
“This new Medical Imaging Suite is a state of the art piece of equipment and will be a great resource for researchers and industry alike,” Leo Varadkar said.
“I wish GMIT the very best of luck with this expansion and to any entrepreneurs with an idea in the MedTech space, this facility and the expert network around it is here for you. Take a chance on your idea and the Government will back you.”
Four weeks of roadworks will disrupt traffic on the N59 between Moycullen and Rosscahill from next week.
Galway County Council is carrying out works on the N59 in the townland of Coolagh.
The roadworks will commence on Monday, November 8, and are expected to last four weeks.
A Stop & Go system will be in place to manage traffic at the location of the works while they are taking place.
The works will be found two kilometres from Rosscahill, headed towards Moycullen.
There have been a further 3,903 cases of COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today.
As of this morning there were 463 people in the country hospitalised with COVID.
Of these patients, 76 are in serious condition and being treated in the intensive care units.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that today’s figures are concerning, and a “stark reminder” of the highly contagious nature of the virus.
“This is not a situation any of us want to be in, but our reality remains that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic.”
“Ireland has been tracking ahead of other Western European countries when it comes to this fourth wave of the pandemic. We are now starting to see a rise in incidence across the continent in line with our own recent experience.”
“There is some good news in that the number of people per 1000 cases requiring hospitalisation and critical care as a result of COVID-19 infection has reduced as the average age of cases reducing and as a result of some early impact of the booster vaccination.”
The COVID-19 data hub provides information on the key indicators of the disease in the community, including the rollout of the vaccine campaign.
There were 56 further deaths in Ireland related to the disease in the week up to last Wednesday, November 3.
In the past week 174,270 tests have been carried out, with 13.3% of people testing positive.
There have now been 7,341,341 doses of vaccine administered in Ireland, and 3,756,091 people are full vaccinated.
Hospitals in Galway and across the Saolta Group are being forced to cancel large amounts of elective surgeries due to crowding in recent days.
The Saolta University Hospital Group runs hospital across the west and north-west of Ireland, including UHG, Merlin Park, and Portiuncula Hospitals in Galway.
The move to cancel many procedures comes as hospitals in Galway have been dealing with high levels of attendance at the A&E, and what are still large numbers of COVID-19 patients.
UHG was the most overcrowded hospital in the country today, with 49 patients on trolleys, while another six at Portiuncula Hospital were also without a bed.
As of Thursday night there were 28 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at UHG, and a further six at Portiuncula. Five of these in total have been admitted to the intensive care unit.
Tony Canavan, Chief Executive of the Saolta Group, said that surgeries will only ahead if they are urgent, such as in cases of cancer, or life limiting illnesses.
A statement from the Saolta Group to Galway Daily said, “All hospitals across the Saolta University Health Care Group are continuing to experience high levels of emergency attendances along with growing COVID-19 cases.”
“As a result all sites have, to different degrees, been forced to postpone elective inpatient or day case workloads over recent weeks. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed. The situation is being kept under constant review.”
“Planned elective procedures are reviewed on a case by case basis and decisions made based on clinical need. Time sensitive and urgent cases are being prioritised when it is safe to do them.”
“All OPD services, ambulatory day cases such as gynaecology, endoscopy and other non-theatre day cases will proceed.”
“Saolta regrets that patients are having their procedures postponed due to these circumstances and the subsequent bed capacity issues. The hospitals are writing to patients to apologise and explain.”
The National Ambulance Service has confirmed that Recess has been chosen for a new ambulance base in the Connemara area.
The new base will be located inside the existing Community Health Centre building in Recess, which will require refurbishments for its new role.
It is envisaged that the new ambulance base will become operational during the first quarter of next year.
But prior to that, additional ambulance resources are expected to become operational in Connemara late next month.
Additional staff and vehicles, including an ambulance and rapid response vehicle, were confirmed for the Connemara service back in August.
Until refurbishments have been completed in Recess, these will be based out of Clifden Ambulance Base.
“This temporary measure will mean that the additional resource commences and finishes its shift from Clifden Ambulance Base from 9am until 9pm,” The HSE said.
“On commencement of shift it will be relocated to a deployment point within the Recess area, which is yet to be confirmed. It will operate from this deployment point for the duration of the shift and return to Clifden to finish duty.”
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said that there has been “significant consultation and engagement” on developing ambulance services in Connemara.
“Which now means that additional ambulance resources will be available to the people of Connemara before the end of the year.”
“This announcement is very welcome, and I would like to commend the NAS and local representatives involved in getting this base established.”
An iconic spot in Galway City’s nightlife for live music has been forced to close temporarily due to COVID-19 cases.
Monroe’s Tavern said in a social media post on Thursday that the Live Venue upstairs will be closed for the next few days, but that the main pub remains open.
This was due to an increase in cases nationally in recent days, and because of a member of staff testing positive for COVID.
“Due to the rise in Covid cases around the country and a member of our Monroe’s Live Venue team contracting the virus, we have taken the decision to close the upstairs venue for the next few days.”
“Monroes Tavern + McBrides & Co are open as usual!”
“After being closed for so long we are gutted to have to take this step, but our priority is the safety of our customers and staff.”
One show that was due to take place on Thursday was cancelled at short notice, and a second that was scheduled for Saturday, Smash Hits, has also been called off.
But this only applies to the Live Venue upstairs, the main Monroe’s bar downstairs remains open seven days a week.
“We will see you back at Monroe’s Live next week for 3 amazing shows with I Hate Models and 2 nights of Jenny Greene,” the facebook post ended.
Thursday’s DART show has been rescheduled for November 15, with all tickets still valid for the next date, and refunds available for people who can’t make it.
A new date is expected to be announced shortly for when the Smash Hits show will take place.
Anyone looking for refunds on these two shows should go to ticketweb.
A coalition of environmental activists, political parties, trade unions, community groups and more will come together for a climate justice protest in Galway City tomorrow during the COP26 Conference.
The COP26 Coalition Galway is holding a rally this Saturday, November 6 down at the Spanish Arch, to coincide with other rallies taking place around the country.
This is in response to the COP26 summit taking place in Glasgow this week, and aims to pressure governments to immediate action on the climate and biodiversity crises.
It will be among the hundreds of protests held across the world on 6 November in response to the call for large-scale global mobilisations for climate action issued by the COP26 coalition, based in Glasgow but with international support.
In Ireland alone, rallies will take place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Belfast as well as Galway this Saturday.
Speakers at the Galway rally will include Caroline Stanley (Friends of Merlin Woods), Marian Spelman (Galway Trades Council), Derrick Hambleton (An Taisce), Zerhanah Walsh (People Before Profit), Sinéad Brady (Social Democrats), Andrew Ó Baoill (Labour Party) and others to be confirmed.
A spokesperson for the COP26 Coalition Galway said “The demands put forward by COP26 Coalition Ireland will be crucial internationally in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 °c – anything above this means that the climate crisis will be not only disastrous but catastrophic.”
“Current government and corporation targets of ‘Net Zero’ by 2050 don’t put us anywhere on track to achieve this, as they involve continued pollution alongside inadequate ‘carbon offsets’.”
“Instead, we need to achieve ‘Real Zero’ by rapidly reducing current emissions, prohibiting new fossil fuel investments and infrastructure and saying no to carbon markets and risky unproven technologies that allow countries and corporations to continue polluting.”
In Ireland, the COP26 Coalition includes environmental activists, political parties, trade unions, grassroots community groups, faith communities, students’ unions, migrant and racial justice networks, feminist campaigns and small farmers’ organisations.
The core demands of COP26 Coalition Ireland are investment in green jobs and a just transition for workers, free, green and frequent public transport, a moratorium on building data centres, a ban on investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG terminals, and sustainable agriculture and a just transition for small farmers.
The COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference began at Glasgow last weekend, and is due to continue to November 12.
The stakes are extremely high here, as many have said that this is the last big chance for coordinated and meaningful global action to reduce emissions and keep global warming in check.
Small countries such as Pacific Island nations, the most vulnerable to rising sea levels, have been the most strident in saying that larger, industrial economies need to do far more than they currently are to reduce their emissions.
Ireland published its Climate Action Plan this week, which between its various ambitions, aims to cut carbon emissions by 51% by the year 2050.
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