Slight increase in Galway workers receiving PUP this week

Ireland, and particularly Dublin, is home to a host of the world’s largest and most influential tech companies. Industry giants such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn all have headquarters in the country, attracted by the attractive 12.5% corporate tax rates and the Irish government’s Foreign Direct Investment arm who incentivised companies to settle in Ireland. From creating new technology for Irish Casinos to the establishment of eco-focused startups, we analyse how Irish tech companies have extended their global reach, and the impact this is having on the world economy:

A Hotbed of Gaming Innovation

Whilst Ireland has long had a reputation attracting the largest brands, it is increasingly gaining a reputation for its innovation within a tech space. The online gaming and online gambling industries in particular are booming. One name in particular that jumps out in this arena is Blackstaff Games, which is one of the world leaders in the fields of both animation and interactive online content creation. One of the biggest gaming companies in the world, Riot Games, has also recently established a permanent base in Ireland, thanks to their acquisition of the home-grown brand Hypixel Studios. Online casino innovation is key to the success of the industry: the brands that will be most successful are those that continue to invest in better graphics, smoother gameplay, and new technology. By leading the innovation in the increasingly competitive online animation sector, Ireland is putting itself on the global map: the country now has a reputation for being the Silicon Valley of the gambling industry.

The Top Destination for Travel Tech

In addition to its reputation for world-beating gaming innovation, Ireland is also the world’s top destination for travel tech. Travel has always been in the Irish psyche, so it should come as no surprise that over 50% of the world’s leased commercial airlines are managed from Ireland. But in recent years, it is the country’s innovation in travel tech that has really garnered media attention, rather than its commitment to physical travel. From B2B travel technology platforms (such as the world leading CarCrawler) to online booking platforms, such as Hostelworld, the huge number of Irish travel tech brands continues to be impressive. For the last 40 years, Ireland has been the second largest exporter of software in the world, and this has been increasingly channeled into the travel arena. And with artificial intelligence increasingly driving the travel industry, helping to make the way customers interact with the market much smarter, this demand for technology has only fed into the country’s strengths. It’s important to note that major travel tech companies such as Airbnb, Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor all have their European hubs in Ireland: this helps to feed the unique, globally focused, travel tech ecosystem that exists in the region.

High End Telecom Specialists

Technological developments and telecommunications function hand in hand, which is why the huge number of telecommunication specialists established in Ireland should be seen as a natural progression of the tech startups and giants that operate in the country. Telecommunications infrastructure plays an integral role in keeping businesses and societies connected: no business can focus on global development without this infrastructure in place. The Indigo Telecom Group has recently announced that they will be expanding in Ireland across 2021, in a bid to increase their growth trajectory considerably, and to focus on global growth too. 5G internet, and 5G technology is coming: and the sooner we see this take off in Ireland, the sooner we will see what is already very rapid telecommunication development (and the positive impact this has across all Irish businesses) really sky rocket.

COVID-19: 10 deaths and 58 Galway cases today

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February 1, 2021

Galway Daily news 25 percent drop in COVID cases in Galway hospitals

There have been 10 further deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today, along with 1,062 new cases.

There have been 58 new cases reported in Galway today. The 14 day incidence here has now fallen to 415.8.

The deaths occurred in people aged between 45 and 101. The median age of those who died was 79 years old.

As of 2pm today there were 1,436 COVID-19 patients hospitalised in Ireland, of whom 207 were in the ICU. There have been 38 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

“While we have experienced very significant improvement in incidence over recent weeks, I am concerned that it appears to be slowing down at much too high a level of infection,” said Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer.

Dr Holohan said that people need to exercise “real care” in any circumstances where they come into contact with other people.

“In particular, workplaces and retail settings need to review their existing protocols and ensure that their staff and customers are protected as much as possible.”

“Given the prevalence of the B117 variant [British strain] and how infectious it is, it is extremely important that people take all preventative measures possible, including staying home.”

There have now been a total of 197,553 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, and 3,317 deaths related to the disease.

Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 57 confirmed cases.

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of the disease in the community.

Connacht fixtures: Munster and Dragons matches set for the next fortnight

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February 1, 2021

Galway Daily rugby Four changes made to starting XV for Connacht v Glasgow

The Connacht Eagles have two games scheduled for the next fortnight, heading back over to Wales this Friday, and then home to face Munster next week.

First up, Connacht will play the Welsh Dragons at Rodney Parade on Friday, February 5.

The Guinness PRO14 match kicks off at 7:35pm, and will be broadcast on TG4.

Following on from that Connacht and Munster will play an Interpro Challenge Match on Friday, February 12.

Kicking off at the Sportsground at 7:35, this game has been scheduled to give our provincial neighbours some play time this month before their first PRO14 match on February 20.

Connacht Rugby recently announced that Head Coach Andy Friend will be staying on at the Sportsground for at least another two year.

The experienced world travelling coach has signed a contract extension to the end of the 2022/23.

Back to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 and another big week ahead 👊

🆚 @dragonsrugby
📍 Rodney Parade
🗓 19:35, Fri 4 Feb
📺 @TG4TV beo#DRAvCON #GuinnessPRO14 pic.twitter.com/uNZBeDcgpw

— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) February 1, 2021

🦅 | Confirmation that the Eagles are back in action next week:

🆚 @Munsterrugby A
📍 The Sportsground
📅 13:00, Fri 12 Feb#GrassrootsToGreenShirts pic.twitter.com/nifj34CVdc

— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) February 1, 2021

Sharon Shannon to open NUI Galway Arts in Action programme

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February 1, 2021

galway daily news sharon shannon nuig arts music ba

Sharon Shannon and guitarist Jim Murray will open NUI Galway’s 2021 Arts in Action programme with a free online concert to launch her new partnership with the university’s Music degree.

The concert will be presented on Wednesday 17 February at 1pm as the 2021 Jean Ritchie Lecture, and will celebrate the future potential from Sharon Shannon’s engagement with NUI Galway’s Music students.

Along with her long-time collaborator, Irish-American fiddle player, Win Horan, Sharon will deliver a series of masterclasses that look at different facets of the creation, performance and production of traditional Irish music.

These masterclasses will be used as part of the teaching of traditional music modules within the new BA in Music.

Sharon and Win will follow up the masterclasses with six live workshops per year, in which they will discuss traditional Irish music directly with the students.

This will also be the first Arts in Action programme to be presented following the death of the programme’s founding director and curator, Mary McPartlan, the accomplished folk singer and educator, in spring 2020.

In celebration of McPartlan, the theme of this limited 2021 programme is ‘art as legacy’, and it features traditional and classical music, drama, performance and literary-focused events.

The entire programme will be presented online free of charge providing viewers nationally and internationally a chance to share in this unique Arts in Action programme.

“I’m delighted to be involved with the Music Department, and am really excited about sharing my music with the students at NUI Galway via the online masterclass series we have developed,” said Sharon Shannon.

“It’s also a great honour to perform along with Jim Murray in celebrating Arts in Action in 2021 and to help re-launch the late Mary McPartlan’s great series.”

Head of Music at NUI Galway Dr Aidan Thomson said that he is thrilled that Music students will have the opportunity to work with a musician of the calibre of Sharon Shannon.

“Galway has a rich history of traditional music, and it is wonderful that one of its greatest exponents should be able to share her expertise with our students, and in turn greatly enhance their learning,” he said.

“The next three years will be a very exciting time for the BA in Music.”

To learn about the Bachelor of Arts in Music at NUI Galway, visit https://www.nuigalway.ie/artsmusic/.

To attend free live streamed Arts in Action events register here: https://bit.ly/3j3vgMJ

Diligent Corporation announces Head of European Hub in Galway

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February 1, 2021

galway daily ruairi conroy diligent corporation

After announcing 200 new Galway jobs in November, Diligent Corporation has chosen Ruairí Conroy as the Site Lead for the company’s new office here.

Ruairí will lead the company’s European Hub and will oversee recruitment, department integration, business operations and facilities.

Over 200 employees will work at the new hub in areas including customer support, finance, product, human resources and marketing.

“I’m confident that Diligent will be able to realise their global ambitions from the West of Ireland thanks to the opportunity to work with a diverse talent pool that stacks up to any other market around the world,” said Ruairí.

“The company is a pioneer in the modern governance space and is well-respected by the world’s most influential brands.

“I’m looking forward to joining the team and driving growth in the region.”

Ruairí Conroy brings over 19 years of growth and leadership experience to Diligent – most recently he served as the Senior Vice President of Inside Sales at SiteMinder, a cloud platform for hotels.

At SiteMinder, he had direct responsibility for recruiting, onboarding and expanding operations at the Galway site.

He was instrumental in architecting their go-to market strategy for future growth, and led a global team of 100 sales leaders.

In addition to his role at SiteMinder, Ruairí was part of the landing team for AdRoll and was instrumental in the launching of their EMEA Headquarters in Dublin.

He has also led sales and acquisitions teams at Google, and currently lectures at National University of Galway, where he designed and delivers a module called Digital Sales Management.

In response to Ruairí’s new position, Lisa Edwards Diligent’s President and COO said: “Our growth plans in this region are quite ambitious and require a leader with vast experience building a site from the ground up and managing cross-functional teams.

“Ruairí has a proven track record of scaling SaaS companies in Galway which will be critical to our overall success.

“Over the last three months, we’ve expanded our footprint to more than 70 employees in the region, and his leadership will help us manage through the complexity of this challenging time as we continue to scale our business.”

Concerns about ‘destruction’ of Mother and Baby Homes testimonies

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February 1, 2021

galway daily mairead farrell td sinn fein nurses midwives pay

Reports that survivors’ testimonies to the Mother and Baby Homes commission report have been destroyed are ‘very alarming’, Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell has said.

The Sinn Féin TD said that several survivors have come forward to express their shock that the commission has said it has destroyed their testimonies.

Their legal representatives say this was not made clear to them at the time they were engaging with the commission.

“This is very alarming,” said Deputy Farrell. “The commission must urgently clarify if this has happened, how many survivors this has affected and why this has been done?

“Survivors shared their often deeply personal stories with great courage and bravery, despite how upsetting this was. They were determined to ensure the truth came out.

“Now, they are hearing that testimonies have been cast aside and discarded. If this is the case, this is yet another example of survivors being treated with contempt by the commission.”

Deputy Farrell said that the commission and the government have repeatedly added to survivors’ distress with how they have handled the report through media leaks, disrespectful language and poor consultation.

“Survivors cannot continue to be treated with such little respect,” she said.

Weather Warning: Heavy rain with flood risk forecast

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February 1, 2021

Galway Daily news Weather warning for continued heavy rain in Galway

Galway is expected to receive protracted heavy rain tonight and all through Tuesday, creating a risk of flooding a weather warning states.

A status yellow weather warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo by Met Eireann.

The alert issued this afternoon will come into effect at 8pm this evening, and remain in place throughout tomorrow until midnight Tuesday.

“Heavy rain on Monday night followed by frequent showers during Tuesday,” have been forecast by Met Eireann.

Accummulations of up to 40mm rain ate expected, creating a risk of localised flooding.

GRETB allocated €2.47 million for 2021 youth services

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February 1, 2021

Galway Daily news Dozens of Galway City community groups awarded €272,708 in grant funding

The GRETB has been allocated almost €2.5 million in funding for its work with young people in 2021 across four main programmes.

Minister for for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman announced that €47.7 million will go towards 16 ETBs for the provision of varied youth services this year.

The bulk of the funding for the GRETB, €2,009,414, comes under the Targeted Youth Funding Scheme/UBU Your Place Your Space programmes.

A further €265,562 has been allocated under the ETB Youth Grant 2021, and €145,766 comes under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme.

The final strand of funding announced is €52,028 as part of the Youth Information Centres scheme for a nationwide programme of modernisation.

Minister O’Gorman stated “In this last dramatic year, I have been very impressed by the passion and determination at every level of the youth sector in responding to a wide range of challenges, not least of which is supporting our young people at the time of a global pandemic.

“I have also been impressed at the ability of the sector to harness innovation to the benefit of all young people and it is my hope that I can support this in the period ahead.”

UBU Your Place Your Space provides funding to over 250 targeted youth services across 16 Education and Training Boards.

The programme began on July 1, 2020, replacing previous targeted youth funding arrangements.

Minister German said “I have enormous respect for the transformative effect that comes from quality youth work with young people.”

“I think recent history has shown what we have been saying from some time, funding for youth services changes lives, makes economic sense, and promotes equity, inclusion and social cohesion.”

COVID-19: 19 patients in the ICU in Galway

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February 1, 2021

There were 19 COVID-19 patients in Intensive Care in Galway’s hospitals as of Sunday evening according to the latest HSE figures.

The number of seriously ill patients at University Hospital Galway has declined to 15, but the figure at Portiuncula Hospital remains high, with 4 ICU cases.

Portiuncula in Ballinasloe also had one suspected Intensive Care case for which test results were being awaited.

Overall there were a total of 72 COVID patients hospitalised in Galway as of 8pm Sunday, with 63 at UHG and a further 9 at Portiuncula.

Five people were admitted to UHG with the disease in the 24 hours prior to this. There were no new admissions in Portiuncula recorded by the HSE.

Nationwide there were 1,531 confirmed cases in Irish acute hospitals as of the time of counting, of whom 209 were in Intensive Care.

Remote working could sustain drop in greenhouse gas emissions – Naughten

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February 1, 2021

Improved infrastructure to allow people to work from home as much as possible is needed to sustain the drop in greenhouse gas emissions seen in 2020, Denis Naughten has said.

Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by an estimated 6% last year compared with 2019, a newly released EPA report states.

These estimates show a significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, with emissions in the transport sector falling by almost 17%, with the equivalent of two million tonnes less CO2.

At the same time, residential emissions increased by 9% last year, mainly as a resulted of increased use of home heating, with more people working from home.

Galway-Roscommon TD Denis Naughten said that this data from the EPA and SEAI shows the potential to reduce emissions by speeding up the delivery of fibre broadband and flexible working arrangements to support remote working.

Deputy Naughten said that it would help “lock in” the temporary reduction in emissions brought on by COVID-19 by accelerating the rollout of the national broadband plan, and developing a strategy to support flexible working for employees and small businesses.

“It is frustrating to see those so opposed to the National Broadband Plan in the past now have such a Pauline Conversion in Government, yet they have not secured one additional cent in the spending profile for the project over and above what I had locked in as Minister in 2018.”

The EPA said in its report that emissions are expected to return to previous levels during the economic recovery from COVID-19, unless additional steps are taken.

Commenting on the figures Laura Burke, Director General, EPA said that Ireland is at a “pivotal point” where the actions taken during the economic recover will shape the country for the coming decade.

“While these early estimates show a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 as a result of Covid restrictions, this level of emission reductions, at a minimum, will be required annually.”

“Ireland needs a ‘green recovery’ to rebuild our economy, generate new jobs and respond to climate change.”

“As we emerge from the global pandemic, a ‘green’ stimulus and implementation of ambitious policies and measures can deliver Ireland’s current and future commitments to a climate-neutral economy and climate-resilient society by 2050.”

“The emissions reductions in 2020 must be built on to achieve continual, substantial, year-on-year reductions, making the 2020’s the decade of climate action.”

ISME calls on Galway workers to support campaign to back High Court challenge on pensions

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February 1, 2021

galway daily courts Man sent for trial on rape charge

The Irish SME Association (ISME) has started a campaign to raise funds for a legal initiative to create an equitable system for private sector pension savers.

ISME hopes to raise €500,000 to support three plaintiffs who will challenge tax discrimination against private sector workers before the High Court.

The funds raised will support the creation of a technical team giving assistance and expertise and advice for the pension’s equity challenge.

The last Public Service Pay Commission report found that while there is almost 100 per cent pension coverage in the public sector, the overall figure for the private sector is just 40 per cent, ISME has said.

Workers in the private sector who aspire to a pension even close to that enjoyed by a public sector worker earning the same salary, would have to surrender more than a third of their salary.

The association says that even if they could afford it, taxation rules constrain them from doing so, as it permits only third division pensions for private sector workers.

There are plans to initiate proceedings in the High Court this year and ISME has called on PAYE workers, professional groups, trade associations, trade unions and SME owners in Galway to support the campaign.

They are calling for private donations of €100, or whatever donors can afford, to support the challenge.

As the biggest beneficiaries of this challenge, it is calling on pension providers to donate a minimum of €10,000 each.

“Private sector workers are not treated in a fair or balanced way when they try to save for a pension,” said Neil Mc Donnell, CEO of ISME.

“As far as is possible, private sector workers and SME owners should enjoy parity with public sector workers in our pensions system.

“We are calling on private sector workers to support this campaign. Every private sector pension saver will benefit from a successful court challenge and we are asking for funding support so this can be achieved.”

Neil Mc Donnell says it is ironic that those in the public service who declare tax relief on private pensions to be ‘tax expenditures’ are themselves the beneficiaries of an enormous transfer of wealth from private sector workers to the public sector.

“Tax relief on private sector pensions savings is tax deferred, not tax avoided. With the support of the SME community, we have a great opportunity to fix this and to ensure a fair pension system on behalf of private sector workers,” he added.

For further information and to support the Pensions Equity Challenge, visit the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pensions-equity-challenge

COVID-19: 76 new cases in Galway and 15 deaths nationally

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January 31, 2021

Galway Daily news Galway hospitals see COVID cases double in recent weeks

A further 76 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Galway along with 1,247 new cases across the country.

The Department of Health also reported a further 15 deaths related to the disease, taking the total number of Covid-related deaths in the Republic to 3,307.

Galway’s 14-day incidence rate has dropped to 426.7 cases per 100,000 people, with 1,101 cases reported in the county over the past two weeks.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that there is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home.

Where that is not possible, he said that they must ensure their workplaces are safe for staff and customers, ‘in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures’.

“The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises,” said Dr Tony Holohan.

“I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place.”

Of the cases reported today, 430 are in Dublin, 97 in Wexford, 87 in Cork, 84 in Limerick, 76 in Galway and the remaining 473 cases are spread across all other counties.

Ahascragh distillery plans expanded with more tourism offerings

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January 31, 2021

Galway Daily news Council approves café plans for Ahascragh distillery

Plans to develop a tourist experience out of a new whiskey distillery in Ahascragh are expanding to include a new café and shop associated with the distillery.

McAllister Distillers Ltd is seeking planning permission to convert the former Brookside Footwear store at The Square, Ahascragh to a shop and café.

Along with converting the existing building, an extension would also be built to the rear of the property to accommodate an outdoor seating area.

A decision is due on this planning application from Galway County Council by February 25.

The County Council gave the green light in October of last year for the old Mill buildings on Main Street, Ahascragh, abandoned since the 1950s, to be converted into a distillery with tourist offering.

Along with the production of whiskey and other spirits, the development will include a Tasting Room and museum of the buildings’ history as part of tours offered.

This craft distillery will produce both whiskey and gin using malted barley, and will employ an estimated 8 to 14 people when complete between making the spirits and guiding tourists.

The project hit a setback at the start of January however, when the county council refused approval for the construction of a warehouse at Knockglass outside of Ballinasloe, meant for maturing the whiskey produced there.

The council said that this site would not be suitable for an industrial warehouse due to its “rural, unserviced location”, and potential ecological concerns over nearby protected sites.

Nicola Coughlan goes behind the scenes of Bridgerton

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January 31, 2021

galway daily news arts netflix nicola coughlan bridgertoon tour behind the scenes

Galway actress Nicola Coughlan has given fans of Bridgerton a unique look at what goes on behind the scenes on the set of the hit Netflix show.

Nicola plays Penelope Fetherington on Bridgerton, which has captivated audiences across the world since its premier on Christmas Day.

Watch below!

Wellbeing booklet for older people launched as part of Keep Well campaign

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January 31, 2021

galway daily sport March for Maroon with Galway GAA to help local charities

Galway City Council and HSE Community Services in Galway have joined together to support older people to take care of their health and wellbeing over the coming months by producing a 20-page booklet and series of accompanying videos.

The Keep Well campaign aims to show people of all ages how they can mind their own physical and mental health by adding healthy and helpful habits to their daily and weekly routines.

The booklet provides a range of practical advice, focusing on the key themes of keeping active, staying connected, switching off, eating well and minding your mood.

It provides guidelines, information, and tips on how we can make a plan to do things that will help us keep well through the coming months.

Explaining how the campaign came about, Alma Joyce, HSE Occupational Therapist Manager said that there are concerns about the effects that the pandemic is having on older people’s health and wellbeing.

“We want to provide practical advice on staying active and encourage older people to keep a routine, engage in their everyday activities, stay connected to family and not hesitate to reach out if help is needed,” said Alma.

Dr Michelle Canavan, Consultant Geriatrician at Galway University Hospital, added that she has seen the need for older people to make positive changes to their routines on a daily basis in her clinic.

“Individuals need to keep moving, a short walk around the house or garden. Do something you enjoy in the morning and in the afternoon.

“We can all do something to actively minimise the effect that this pandemic is having on our health,” she said.

Visit www.galwaycity.ie/wellbeing/ to download the booklet and for further details and updates on all the local initiatives and activities.

If you would like a copy of the free booklet which also contains useful telephone numbers for support and practical advice, please call the Galway City Community Call Helpline by Freephone 1800 400 150 or email to covidsupport@galwaycity.ie.

The accompanying video series is available by searching “Community Healthcare West” on YouTube.

Almost 800 arrested for drink driving in Garda Christmas campaign

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January 31, 2021

Galway Daily news 33 Almost 200 people arrested for drug and drunk driving over Bank Holiday weekend

Almost 800 people were arrested for drink driving offences over the Christmas and new Year period in 2020 An Garda Síochána has said.

Between December 4, 2020 and January 5, 2021 Gardaí arrested 790 motorists for drink driving during the Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign.

The campaign focused on people driving while intoxicated, with a large number of drunk drivers found despite the reduction in traffic on the roads.

There were ten deaths on Irish roads during this months long campaign, down from 16 fatalities in the same period the year before.

Overall there were a total of 148 fatalities on Irish roads last year, an increase of 6% on 2019.

For 2021, Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement Bureau continues to appeal to all road users to remember the basics of road safety.

“The message is clear, never drive if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a combination of both.”

“We also ask that drivers increase their compliance with speed limits in order to lower speed related collisions. This will reduce injuries on our roads and save lives.”

As another key part of the Christmas and New Year Safety campaign, An Garda Síochána conducted a “National Slow Down Day” on 11th and 12th of December to detect those speeding on our roads.

The operation consisted of high visibility speed enforcement across the 1,300 speed enforcement zones, as well as the delivery of a road safety message through national, local and social media.

Gardaí and GoSafe together checked 186,125 vehicles during this period, detecting 892 drivers speeding.

Rules change makes it easier for asylum seekers to find work

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January 31, 2021

Galway Daily news Rules change makes it easier for asylum seekers to find work

Asylum seekers in Ireland will benefit from a change to rules surrounding work eligibility announced by the Department of Justice this week.

People seeking international protection in Ireland will now be apply for permission to find work after a period six months, down from nine under previous.

If granted, this work eligibility will also now last for twelve months rather six in another change to the rules.

“Since its introduction in June 2018, access to the labour market has had a very positive impact for international protection applicants and employers,” said Minister Helen McEntee of the changes.

To date, the Department has issued permission for work to 6,006 asylum seekers, including 4,569 to people in Direct Provision.

“Giving eligible applicants the opportunity to work earlier, and extending their permission to work to 12 months, will help even more people to integrate into Irish society while providing for themselves and their families outside of the State’s directly provided services and supports.”

Minister McEntee added that “It also helps people to plan and prepare for their future if they receive a positive decision on their application for international protection.”

Access to the labour market for international protection applicants is provided for under the European Reception Conditions Regulations 2018 and work on the relevant legislative changes for the new measures is at an advanced stage.

These new measures were announced by the Department of Justice following an internal review which ran in parallel with the work of the Advisory Group (also known as the Catherine Day Group) on the Provision of Supports, including Accommodation, to Persons in the International Protection Process.

Applicants who are eligible for a labour market access permission can access all sectors of employment and occupations with the exception of those that require a citizenship or long-term residence requirement, such as the Civil and Public Sector, An Garda Síochána and the Irish Defence Forces.

The changes brought in this week cover all applications for permission to work from January 18 onwards.

Immigration solicitors Sinnott are experts on all Irish immigration and citizenship matters.

If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact their Immigration Department today on 00353 1 406 2862 or info@sinnott.ie.

COVID-19: 79 deaths and 1,414 cases reported, 96 in Galway

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January 30, 2021

The Department of Health has reported a further 79 deaths related to COVID-19 and an additional 1,414 cases – 96 of which are in Galway.

The 14-day incidence rate in Galway now stands at 465, with 1,200 cases confirmed in the county over the past two weeks.

Of the cases notified across the State today, 667 are men and 742 are women, while 59% are under 45 years of age.

608 new cases are in Dublin, with 105 in Cork, 65 in Meath and 59 in Donegal.

Speaking this evening, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that we have experienced over 1,000 deaths and more than 100,000 cases in January 2021.

“We have reported more cases in one month than we experienced throughout 2020. This shows just how quickly this disease can spread and how much it can impact public health,” he said.

“The efforts by all of the population in following the basic public health advice has seen us reduce the incidence of the disease very rapidly compared to most countries in Europe.”

Dr Tony Holohan added that despite the recent decrease in cases, there remains a level of infection in the population which is double that seen at the peak of incidence last October.

“The next few weeks need to see us maintain compliance with all of the measures that are in place so that we can get to levels of the disease that are as low as possible.”

Weather warning for snow and ice issued for Galway

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January 30, 2021