NUIG seeks retention permission for solar panels on two buildings

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October 25, 2020

An Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has said that he is becoming ‘increasingly optimistic’ that a vaccine will be available in the first half of next year.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One this afternoon, Varadkar said that the government’s strategy to fight the coronavirus is ‘delay and vaccinate’.

Asked whether we would then be returning to a Level 5 scenario in the new year, the Tanaiste said: “Not necessarily.”

“It is possible, but it is by no means inevitable,” he said.

“We are learning more and more about this virus all the time, and what we would seek to achieve now is to bring the R number well below 1 to ensure that cases are falling significantly, and then we can start to reopen the country again.

“And what we will seek to achieve is that with an efficient testing, tracing and isolation system, that we can keep the R number below 1. But obviously if it starts going up above 1, then maybe we’ll need to act.”

He said that the R number – which is a way of gauging a disease’s ability to spread – went above 1 as far back as July, but that the restrictions brought in did not turn that around.

“In terms of the vaccine, I’m increasingly optimistic as is government that we will see a vaccine approved in the next couple of months.

“And in the first half if not the first quarter of next year it will be possible to start vaccinating those most at risk – healthcare workers and people with chronic illnesses.”

Roadworks between Loughrea and Craughwell to take six days

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October 25, 2020

Galway Daily news Traffic disruption expected from five day N67 roadworks

Six days of roadworks will disrupt traffic between Craughwell and Loughrea starting from next week.

Galway County Council is carrying out resurfacing overlay works on the R446 Seefin to Srah, between Loughrea & Craughwell.

The roadworks will get underway on Tuesday, October 27, and are expected to take a total of six days to complete.

In order to facilitate these works, a Stop & Go system will be in place to manage traffic at the affected stretch of road between 7:45am an 6pm each day.

As a consequence users of this road are requested to expect delays and as such should allow additional time for their journeys.

Cottage in the country is ripe for renovation

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October 25, 2020

Galway Daily property This cottage in the country is ripe for renovation

For the full Irish country experience there’s nothing quite like a traditional thatched cottage home for a bit of old world charm.

O’Donnellan & Joyce are offering the chance to become the owner of just such a cottage at Leagh South, Kinvara at auction next week on October 30, which will be live streamed for people to view and take part in remotely.

Register by next Wednesday, October 28 in order to bid on this cottage, and other properties up for grabs.

This three bedroom house comes with extremely large grounds covering more than two acres, just a short drive from the village of Kinvara.

The property is currently occupied and being sold with tenants in situ (no access or tenancy terms available).

The main cottage consists of an open plan living and kitchen area, with three bedrooms off the main room, and a bathroom.

Significant potential also exists to upgrade the amount of space in the home through the two detached outbuildings.

While this property requires upgrading and refurbishment throughout, for someone who wants that charm which can’t be replicated in a new build, it would certainly make a worthy undertaking.

With an advised minimum value of just €90,000 heading into the auction, an ambitious buyer with a budget in mind could carry out significant renovations to bring this cottage up to the comfort level of a modern home, without a huge difference in price.

This property is in a very quiet and picturesque rural location, straddling the borders of counties Galway and Clare.

It lies just a short distance from the sea, and the village of Kinvara itself is easily accessible by car via the N67.

For more information on this property, check it out on O’Donnellan and Joyce’s website at odonnjoyce.com/residential/brochure/leagh-south-kinvara-galway/4439761.

It will go on sale at O’Donnellan & Joyce’s next nationwide property auction on October 30 which will be live streamed across their website and social media channels from 12pm.

This auction features 12 properties across Galway going under the hammer, along with more homes in Mayo, Sligo, Dublin, Meath, Laois, Kildare, Cavan, Westmeath, and Roscommon.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only remote bidding will be allowed in this auction, and people wishing to take part must register to bid by 4pm on October 28.

To see the full range of properties that could be yours, check out the auction catalogue at odonnjoyce.com/auction/properties/3786

Businesses and people across Galway urged to support 2020 WorkEqual campaign

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October 25, 2020

galway daily news gender equality — Pic: Marc O’Sullivan

WorkEqual has called on businesses and people across Galway to support its 2020 campaign which aims to raise awareness of workplace gender inequalities and related issues, and develop solutions to address them.

Alongside a host of Irish speakers, gender equality experts based in Iceland, the US and the UK will feature on the line-up of events for this year’s WorkEqual campaign, sharing their insights and ideas on how to progress workplace gender equality.

People from Galway, and across the country will be able to attend the digital events online, free of charge.

“We are delighted to have international activists, politicians, business leaders and NGO representatives on the line-up for WorkEqual 2020,” said founder Sonya Lennon, launching the 2020 programme for the WorkEqual campaign.

“Last year, we held the inaugural WorkEqual conference, which involved a number of international speakers.

“This year, as a physical conference is not feasible, we’re running a series of online panel discussions and using the opportunity presented by moving online to broaden the reach of the campaign, and make it more accessible to people who may not have been able to travel to the conference in previous years.”

The panel discussions taking place in November are being billed as ‘The Solutions Series: a whole-of-society approach to progressing gender equality’. All discussions will be open to anyone interested in gender equality to attend online, free of charge.

Five discussions will take place in total.

Thursday, 5^th November: ‘How Can We Banish Gender Stereotypes from Society?’
Monday, 9^th November (the date designated by the WorkEqual Campaign as Equal Pay Day, the date on which women in Ireland effectively stop earning, relative to men, because of the gender pay gap): ‘Why Understanding the Pay Gap is Key to Gender Equality at Work’
Thursday, 12^th November: ‘What Role has Flexible Working in Achieving Gender Equality?’
Thursday, 19^th November: ‘How the Value Placed on Caring Contributes to Gender Equality at Work’.
Thursday, 26^th November: ‘How Can We Address Women’s Under-Representation in Positions of Leadership – at Work and in Wider Society?’

All events will run from 1pm to 2pm, and advance registration is required through the WorkEqual website. Speakers confirmed for ‘The Solutions Series’ to date include:

Professor Linda Scott, founder of, and now Senior Advisor to, the Global Business Coalition for Women’s Economic Empowerment; founder of DoubleXEconomy LLC, a consulting firm specialising in women’s economic empowerment; and author of ‘The Double X Economy’.
Laura Jones, Research Associate at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.
Eamonn Crowley, CEO of Permanent TSB.
Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS.
Karen Boyle, Professor of Feminist Media Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.
Dr. Orlaigh Quinn, Secretary General of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
Anne Looney, Professor and Executive Dean of the Institute of Education at Dublin City University.
Helen Russell, Research Professor at the ESRI.
Cormac Harris and Alan O’Sullivan, winners of the 2020 BT Young Scientist for their ground-breaking research on gender bias in young schoolchildren.
Sean Cooke, CEO of the Men’s Development Network.
Senator Ivana Bacik.
Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland.

Galway-based skincare business finds lifeline online

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October 25, 2020

galway daily news ebay ri na mara business skincare an spideal — Photo: JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on sales margins for businesses across Ireland, a Galway-based skincare business has found a lifeline in e-commerce.

Rí na Mara, founded by Deirdre and Seamas Mac Chathmhaoil in 2004, has never been more reliant on online sales, which the owners say are essential.

Alongside its own website, Rí na Mara joined eBay in 2019 as a way to reach new customers in a move that proved fruitful, especially over the past few months.

“Since COVID-19 hit, trading online has become an essential element for our business and we were fortunate to have our eBay store up and running and taking orders,” said Deirdre.

“Normally our sales are split 25% online 75% instore, but since March 2020 this has drastically changed, with 60% of sales coming from online and 40% instore.”

Born and raised in Co. Tyrone, Deirdre studied nursing and cosmetic science in college before moving to London where she worked in a dermatology clinic.

Returning to Ireland to An Spidéal in 1990, she decided to combine her local know-how on the health benefits of seaweed with her knowledge of dermatology.

This led to her creating the luxury skincare range many know and love today.

Over the years, the husband and wife duo has built up a strong network of stocklists in Ireland, with Rí na Mara now stocked in health stores, pharmacies, hotel spas and gift shops nationwide.

Having conquered the Irish market, and not one to back away from a challenge, Deirdre then decided to expand Rí Na Mara overseas.

In February last year, Rí na Mara opened a storefront on ebay.ie as part of the e-commerce site’s Retail Expansion Programme, an initiative designed by eBay to help local Irish businesses reach new domestic and global audiences.

Speaking about the programme, Deirdre said that they joined eBay to build their brand identity online and to increase their sales channels – and within three months, they had hit all their objectives.

“eBay understands our Irish business and has actively and enthusiastically worked to promote it. The support is fantastic.

“Through our anchor store, we have brilliant e-commerce resources at our disposal, such as a language translation tool which allows us to publish online content in multiple languages such as French, Spanish, and German.

“The benefit of this is we are portrayed in these markets in the way in which we want our brand to be showcased, something which is very important to a brand like us with provenance and authenticity.”

COVID-19 and Christmas

When hotels, spas and non-essential shops were forced to close during Lockdown in March, Rí na Mara, which means ‘King of the sea’ in English, had to depend solely on e-commerce to stay afloat, with eBay having a huge role to play.

Now, with COVID cases at an all-time high, the business has, yet again, been forced to depend solely on online trade.

But despite the badly-timed Level 5 lockdown, Rí na Mara is staying positive and will be focusing its efforts on online sales as the festive season approaches.

“This year, more than ever, people have become accustomed to purchasing online and the convenience of having it delivered straight to their door.

“It’s something we are aware of and we will be focusing our efforts on eBay in the months ahead.

“People are also more aware of their choices and how that can affect Irish businesses and the local economy. There’s been a real push to shop local this year and it does give us some hope that all is not lost.”

More time granted to build new UHG oncology centre

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October 25, 2020

The HSE has been granted more time to build a new radiation oncology centre for University Hospital Galway by the city council.

An Extension of Duration application was made to the city council for the an additional five years planning permission to build the new oncology centre for UHG.

The HSE was first granted planning permission in October 2015 for the demolition of the existing Psychiatric unit and link corridor to the hospital’s Paediatric unit, and to build a three storey Radiation Oncology Centre in its place.

When completed the oncology centre will include seven radiotherapy treatment vaults, a brachytherapy suite, two CT rooms, on-treatment support and ancillary physics, treatment planning and administration facilities.

The centre is being built on the site of the former acute mental health unit at UHG.

Work carried out on the site so far includes the construction of a new ground floor link corridor between the Paediatric Unit and the main hospital, and modification to the road and car park layout on site.

The Psychiatric Unit has been demolished, and site preparation work which has taken place includes “the removal of redundant services, the completion of a bulk dig and the provision of perimeter hording to the site”.

The previous planning permission for the project expired on October 13 of this year. The new oncology unit is expected to be completed by December of 2022 according to the EOD application.

Galway City Council granted the extension of duration application without any conditions.

Galway Science Festival unveils 2020 programme

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October 25, 2020

Galway Science Festival unveils 2020 programme

Galway Science and Technology Festival returns this November as a virtual event, but promises to capture all of its usual fun and excitement.

The festival will run for two weeks from November 8 – 22, and this year offers all primary schools in Galway the chance to participate with many exciting workshops.

The culmination of the Festival will be in the ‘e-Exhibition’, an interactive, online production on Sunday, 22 November featuring special presenters, STEM demonstrations and fun activities for the whole family to watch and enjoy together.

Now in its 23^rd year, the Festival educates, inspires and motivates Galway to be curious about the world around us, and to nurture in students of all ages an interest in STEM.

The programme will feature ‘Career Stories’ and Cisco Webex streamed workshops for TY students by experienced local scientists and engineers in STEM companies.

The programme will also offer ‘Whizzkids’ coding workshops and an outer-space adventure with Killaloe Exploration Dome.

Other Festival events include an activity pack for primary schools built around the theme of “Colourful Science” provided by GMIT.

There will be an exciting collaboration between Foróige and CÚRAM – NUI Galway’s SFI Centre for medical technologies – to create fashion works inspired by CÚRAM’s research.

‘Hope it Rains’ will provide socially distanced, and virtual, guided walking tours of ‘Drowned Galway’, a series of photomontages on walls and in windows across the city envisaging life in a near-future, inundated city.

NUI Galway’s SFI Insight research centre will host a string of events, including ‘Avatars in the Classroom’; ‘Citizen Science: Saving the Past’; ‘Back to BASICS’ coding workshop looking back on the democratisation of computing over the past 50 years;

There is also the ‘Crowd4Access’ citizen science community workshops; ‘Shadows of an Empire’ exhibition on the schools and postal service of Ireland, 1890-1922; a Morse Code workshop; and ‘The COVID Experience’ examining pandemic life in Direct Provision.

The Festival’s famous, centrepiece Exhibition Day, usually hosted by NUI Galway, will be streamed online as an interactive production bringing favourite attractions alongside new features for 2020.

This will feature Sue McGrath’s ‘Bubble Magic’; Dr Michel Dugon’s snakes and spiders; Cell Explorers’ guide to extracting DNA from a banana; specially produced STEM demonstrations by Medtronic; COVID-19 experts; and a juggling class with James Soper.

The ReelLife Science video competition winners, and the Galway Science Person of the Year, will also be announced as part of the e-Exhibition.

“It will be a challenge to produce a virtual program that will engage with teachers, pupils, parents and children but it is a challenge that the GSTF committee have embraced with their usual commitment and enthusiasm and I am confident that it will be a success,” said Festival chairperson, Mr Paul Mee.

Coronavirus: Four deaths & rise in Galway cases

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October 24, 2020

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

The Department of Health has reported 859 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland and four deaths related to the illness.

Health officials say that all four of the deaths occurred in at some point in October.

Of the cases reported today, 55 are in Galway, while 192 are in Dublin, 148 in Cork and 58 in Donegal.

The median age is 35 years and 62% are under the age of 45.

The total number of confirmed cases in the Republic since the start of the pandemic is now 56,108.

The latest data shows there are 14 people in hospital in Galway with Covid-19 and no confirmed cases in ICU.

Hospitals update: No COVID cases in ICU in Galway

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October 24, 2020

There are no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in ICU at Galway hospitals, according the latest data from the HSE.

The update shows that there are ten people with the virus in University Hospital Galway and four in Portiuncula.

There are also five suspected cases across the hospitals – four in UHG and one in Ballinasloe.

At GUH, there are 30 beds available and one ICU bed.

In hospitals across the Republic, there are now 38 people with COVID in ICU as well as 12 suspected cases. There are just 34 ICU beds available.

The HSE’s Daily Operations Update was updated at 8.00pm yesterday, Friday 23 October.

Cancellations hit Galway train services on bank holiday weekend

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October 24, 2020

Galway Daily news Extra train services added for supporters going to Galway v Limerick semi-final

There will be some disruption to rail travel between Galway and Dublin this Bank Holiday weekend, with two train services cancelled on Sunday.

Irish Rail has cancelled two trains which were due to run between Galway and Heuston Station on Bank Holiday Sunday.

The cancellations are due to engineering works which are taking place at Thurles Station.

The two Galway trains affected are the 17:00 Galway – Heuston service and 20:30 Heuston – Galway service on Sunday.

The 15:45 Westport to Heuston service that day has also been cancelled.

Over €100,000 awarded to seafood sector and coastal projects in the west

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October 24, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway allocated €9 million for LEADER programme 2023-2027

More than €100,000 in grant aid has been allocated to projects supporting the seafood sector and coastal communities in the west of Ireland.

The funding for projects in the West of Ireland is part of €558,039 awarded to 33 local community groups and micro enterprises by Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue this week.

This is the third tranche of funding for Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme (EMFF) supporting seafood industry and the developing attractions in coastal communities.

Some of the Galway projects supported in the funding announced this week includes €17,021 to help develop a cultural centre at Oranmore Castle, €6,984 for glamping and camping on Inis Oírr, and €12,953 for the Cuan Beo campaign supporting sustainable usage of Galway Bay.

The money is allocated through the Fisheries Local Action Groups which were created for the EMFF. In total, €3.3 million in FLAG funding has now been awarded to 188 projects this year.

Minister McConalogue said, “These projects will provide valuable economic and social benefits to our coastal communities during a difficult period for many.”

FLAG West distributed a total of €106,508.70 in grant aid to nine projects. The projects funded in the west are:

FLAG West
Applicant	Project Title	Rate	Total Cost	Grant Aid
J & S Ocean Products	Upgrading Processing Equipment	80%	16,549.00	13,239.20
Séamus Ó Flatharta	Inis Oírr Glamping and Campsite	40%	17,460.00	6,984.00
Oranmore Castle	Oranmore Castle Cultural Centre	40%	42,553.21	17,021.28
Calluragh House Concerts	Workshop Improvements	40%	7,801.00	3,120.40
Loop Head Tourism Ltd	Development of the tourism product on Loop Head peninsula which will have a positive effect on the local communities	80%	4,900.00	3,920.00
Cuan Beo CLG	Cuan Beo – Implementing a holistic approach to sustainability in Galway Bay 2020	80%	16,191.55	12,953.24
Spiddal Craft & Design Centre	Online marketing campaign	80%	6,500.00	5,200.00
Owen O Connell	Training	50%	2,000.00	1,000.00
Údarás na Gaeltachta	Slí Chonamara Trail	100%	43,070.58	43,070.58

	Total		157,025.34	106,508.70

Family Resource Centre will continue to play vital role in public safety

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October 24, 2020

Family Resource Centres in Galway will continue to play a vital role in promoting important Covid-19 public safety advice amongst harder-to-reach communities in the build up to Halloween.

That’s according to the Family Resource Centre National Forum (FRCNF), who this week launched a new report outlining the development of the National Family Resource Centre Programme.

“Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the five Family Resource Centres in Galway have played a key role working on the ground supporting communities,” said Clare Cashman, Chairperson of FRCNF.

“As we have seen in recent weeks, the Covid-19 crisis has not gone away, and the work of Family Resource Centres is critical as the country moves to tighter restrictions.”

She said that coming up to Halloween, people in Galway will be tempted to socialise, to let their children have a ‘normal’ Halloween celebration or let their guard fall which may inadvertently result in the spread of Covid-19.

“A key focus for FRCs over the next few weeks will be to help make sure that the public health guidelines and up-to-date restrictions are communicated effectively with all members of society,” said Clare.

“During the initial lockdown period earlier this year, FRCs experienced an increase in the number of people seeking mental health support and food and essential home supplies. They received more calls from migrant communities, including those in direct provision.”

The increase in demand came from many new people who had never used FRC services before, such as older people cocooning and people asking for food.

“FRCs will continue to play a key role in supporting communities by broadening our range of services and responding to the direct needs of some of our most vulnerable in society, we can effectively communicate the changing public health advice and provide vital supports,” she added.

Digital Toolkit for FRCs

The FRCNF launched the ‘Our Story’ report yesterday which locates the work of Family Resources Centres within current Government policy and demonstrates how the centres work with individuals, families and communities responding to locally identified needs.

As part of the report publication, the FRCNF launched a new digital toolkit aimed at equipping Family Resource Centres with online resources to support our communities to stay safe this Halloween by following Covid-19 guidelines.

Commenting on the toolkit, Clare Cashman said: “The past number of months has cemented the FRCs role as important messengers for public health advice and guidelines in light of Covid-19.

“The digital toolkit we are providing is a helpful resource for all 121 FRCs around the country to enable them to communicate this important information using social media locally to try and keep our communities safe during these difficult times.”

Galway United eager to get back on their game against Bray

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October 24, 2020

Gaway Daily sport Galway United eager to get back on their game against Bray

Galway United are hoping to get back on their winning streak when they face the Bray Wanderers this afternoon, after a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Drogheda on Tuesday.

United are travelling to Carlisle Grounds this afternoon, where their match kicks off at 3pm.

Tuesday’s loss makes United’s prospects of attaining a play-off spot much more difficult – realistically two wins will be required against Bray Wanderers and UCD next week, and results elsewhere will have to go their way also.

Galway United manager John Caulfield isn’t looking past Saturday’s trip to the Carlisle Grounds however, and he believes his players should take confidence from the fact that they’ve won their last four away games.

“We’ve trained well in the lead up to the Bray Wanderers game and we’re looking forward to it,” Caulfield said.

The last time Galway United and Bray faced each other in August the results were inconclusive, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw.

“We’re looking to bounce back ourselves, but we know it will be a tough game. We’ve prepared well and we’ll be going to Bray giving everything we can.

“People may think that we are gone, but for us, it’s simply about getting back to what we’ve been doing over the last few weeks, which is giving good performances and having the attitude that we’re going to win the match.”

TEAM NEWS
Stephen Christopher (suspended) is ruled out, along with Josh Smith and Donal Higgins.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Oliver Moran
Assistant: Robert Clarke
Assistant: Mark Gavin
Fourth official: Damien MacGraith

GALWAY UNITED GOALSCORERS
Mikey Place – 4
Enda Curran – 4
Carlton Ubaezuonu – 3
Marc Ludden – 2
Francely Lomboto – 2
Vinny Faherty – 2
Stephen Christopher – 2
Wilson Waweru – 2
Shane Duggan – 1
Kevin Farragher – 1
Conor Barry – 1

Over the Edge October reading bringing the best of non-fiction

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October 24, 2020

Galway Daily arts Over the Edge open mic night on Thursday evening

The October Over the Edge open reading and open mic night will take place over Zoom next week so people can get their arts fix in lockdown, with a special focus on non-fiction.

The Open Reading will take place next Thursday, October 29 at the usual Over The Edge time of 6:30-8:00pm.

This is Over The Edge’s annual non-fiction special, at which all of the Featured Readers are writers of non-fiction; however poets and fiction writers are still very welcome at the open-mic.

The Featured Readers are Niamh Flynn, Ruairí McKiernan, & Tariq Ali. There will as usual be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished.

Niamh Flynn is a Galway native and a sports psychologist at the Galway Clinic. Over the years she she has written for The Irish Examiner, Mature Living Magazine, Gaelic World, High Ball and many more.

Her book End Migraine Fast was taken up earlier this year by a French Publisher and is due to be published in France in 2021.

She is currently in talks with agents regarding the publication of her most recent work ‘She Kept Walking’, a true story of the life of a young man, Seánie Ó Lionsaigh, growing up in abject poverty in the West of Ireland in the 1970s.

Ruairí McKiernan is originally from Cootehill in County Cavan; he now lives in Lahinch. He recently published his debut book Hitching for Hope – a Journey into the Heart and Soul of Ireland in the US, where it went straight to number 1 in the Nielsen paperback non-fiction bestseller charts.

Described as a “powerful manifesto for hope and healing in troubled times”, Hitching for Hope is part personal pilgrimage, part political quest, reflecting a hitchhiking listening tour McKiernan undertook around Ireland during the last recession while contemplating the prospect of emigration.

The book is also a memoir reflecting on his 20 years’ work as a campaigner and social innovator, which includes 7 years as one of President Higgins’ appointees to the Council of State.

Tariq Ali was born in 1943 in what is now Pakistan while it was still under British rule and has lived in London since his university days.

Tariq has been writing for the Guardian since the 70s and is a long-standing editor of the New Left Review and a political commentator published on every continent.

He has published dozens of books, including The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity, The Duel: Pakistan on the Flightpath of American Power, and The Obama Syndrome.

He has also published a number of novels, including Redemption, a bawdy satire on late 20^th century Trotskyist groups set in Paris, New York, Mexico City and London, and Fear of Mirrors, set in post-Stalinist eastern Germany.

To take part in this month’s Over the Edge reading, join the Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7389013549 (Meeting ID: 738 901 3549) next Thursday.

Anyone interested in taking part in the open-mic should text Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748 or email over-the-edge-openreadings@hotmail.com between 6pm and 6.30pm on the evening of the reading.

Lockdown creates long delays in passport and immigration services

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October 24, 2020

galway Daily news Lockdown creates long delays in immigration and asylum services

As part of the Level 5 restrictions for the coming weeks, long delays are expected in different immigration, asylum, and passport services until further notice.

While the move into Level 5 has been nationally imposed, as these immigration services are based out of Dublin, many will remain suspended until the Capital has been brought back down to Level 3.

This may result in delays beyond the six week lockdown period announced, as Dublin has consistently been the worst affected county in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign Birth Registrations

The Department of Foreign Affairs have announced that the processing of applications for entry on the Foreign Birth Register in order for a person to become an Irish citizen, has been suspended until Dublin returns to Level 3 of the National Framework for Living with Covid-19.

Applicants can continue to submit their applications for Foreign Birth Registration in circumstances where the DFA have confirmed that documentation is held securely until processing recommences.

Given that applications are currently taking 12-18 months to process, people are being encouraged to continue to submit their applications in order to take their place in the long processing queue.

Irish Passport Applications

The Passport Service has suspended the processing of applications for Irish passports – regardless of whether it is a first-time application or renewal.

Similar to applications for Foreign Birth Registration, applicants can submit their documentation in order to take their place in the processing queue however the applications will not be processed at present.

Individuals are again being encouraged to continue to submit their applications to avoid further delays when processing recommences.

The Passport Online service will issue a further update in six weeks with respect to a return to processing.

The Passport Express service will recommence processing applications when Dublin returns to Level 3 restrictions. They anticipate processing to take six to eight weeks at that juncture.

Emergency applications will continue to be processed where a person requires a passport for travel in an emergency (death or serious illness of a family member or emergency medical treatment). Applicants should contact the passport webchat service here to make arrangements.

International Protection Appeals Tribunal

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal have announced the postponement of oral hearings in the tribunal for six weeks from the 22nd of October 2020.

Immigration solicitors Sinnott as a government deemed essential service will remain open throughout the Level 5 lockdown period to serve both new and existing clients.

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

GMIT robot wins top prize at national engineering competition

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October 24, 2020

Galway Daily science GMIT robot wins top prize at national engineering competition

A GMIT student’s remote controlled robot arm won the joint first place in this year’s National Midas Third Level Electronic Project Competition.

Ruairi Doherty from Creagh, Ballinasloe, built the Remote-Robot, a wireless, hand-gesture controlled robot arm, that is designed to be operated with precision using a glove, in areas where human contact should be avoided.

The initial application of the robot arm was for situations such as bomb disposal, radioactive environments or natural disaster relief. However, with the emergence of COVID-19 new applications for the project became apparent.

It could be used as an aid for people who are elderly, vulnerable, or have mobility issues, for example, if people call to the door to drop off some items such as shopping or a delivery, the Remote-Robot could be used to collect the items whilst avoiding contact.” Explains Ruairi.

The machine could also help people who are sick or immobile with simple tasks, he says, such as retrieving medicine from a bedside locker, turning a light on or off, or opening and closing a door.

The robot arm is controlled by wireless peer-to-peer communication protocol, similar to what you might find when using a wireless mouse, with a range of up to 200m.

“This means that it could provide assistance to vulnerable people in a safe manner, by avoiding any human-to-human contact. The Remote-Robot also has a camera attached to it so the user can view a livestream via a web-server.”

Ruairi completed the B. Eng (Hons) in Software & Electronic Engineering at GMIT this year (2020) and is now employed by Microchip Technology Inc.

Lecturer and supervisor Paul Lennon paid tribute to Ruairi for his hard work and dedication, “Well done Ruairi, a fantastic result and an inspiration for all GMIT students.”

“To compete and win against the best of the Irish Universities and IoTs, demonstrates how your hard work and belief in your own abilities can produce great results.”

MIDAS Ireland is an industry led cluster consisting of industry, educational, research and government agencies, working together to assist in the development of the electronics based systems sector in Ireland.

The annual MIDAS competition, open to all third level students studying electrical, electronic or microelectronic engineering, is meant to foster that spirit.

There were 24 entries in total to the 3^rd Level MIDAS Electronic Project Competition, sponsored by Analog Devices. The winners were each awarded €1,000 cash prize.

Galway Fertility Clinic rebranded following €500k upgrade

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October 24, 2020

ReproMed has announced the rebranding of the Galway Fertility Clinic to ReproMed Galway, after investing almost half a million euro upgrading the clinic.

ReproMed acquired the clinic in 2017 and has now announced a new management team which will focus on ‘enhancing the patient journey’ for people in the West.

“The clinic here in Galway is a huge opportunity for us to drive the standards of excellence in this industry even further,” said Caitriona McPartlin, ReproMed Group CEO.

“We’ve invested a huge amount of money in the clinic since we acquired it in a bid to provide our current and future patients with the highest standards of care.

“This is an unusual and trying time for many but we’re still seeing our patient numbers climb, demonstrating that people are eager to begin starting a family and feel safe in doing so with us. We want to ensure that we’re striving to be the best fertility provider in the country for our patients and also for standards in the industry as a whole.”

Alejandro Aldape, a senior consultant in reproductive medicine, will be the new Medical Director at ReproMed Galway and will oversee a team of 35 people.

The IVF provider has clinics nationwide, and has consistently expanded its services to patients since it was founded in 2009.

A recent acquisition of pregnancy ultrasound provider BabyScan in 2019 brought ReproMed’s total number of clinics across the country to ten and boosted employee numbers to 100.

Job vacancy: Catering Equipment Service Manager needed for full-time role in Galway

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October 24, 2020

GALWAY DAILY news job vacancy sigmar recruitment

A Catering Equipment Service Manager is needed in Galway to oversee the service of client equipment and manage a team of Service Technicians.

This is a permanent role with a leading company headquartered in the West, and some travel will be involved in the role.

Job Responsibilities

Manage the Service Department and lead a team of Service Technicians to ensure clients receive a fast and high standard service.
Ensure Service team is operating within the guidelines of the company.
Act as a communicator between Service Technicians and the Clients.
Manage the Service Contracts and the Tender process.
Ensure repair of back up catering equipment on an ongoing basis.
Perform Preventive maintenance, repair, replacement and troubleshooting of catering equipment.
Inspect equipment to detect wear and damage.
Perform minor repairs, adjustments, and maintenance tasks.
Ensure equipment inventory is maintained.
Ensure storing, assembling and disassembling of equipment as necessary.
Provide recommendations on all matters relating to service – both preventative and responsive.
Ensures times sheets are accurate.
Maintain a good relationship with Clients.

Qualifications/Skills required for the role of Equipment Service Manager

Must hold an Electrical qualification to work on 3 phase catering.
5+ years’ experience as a Service Equipment (Catering) Manager required.
Must be flexible to work out of hours and be on call when required (on rotation).
Possess a good working knowledge of catering equipment and servicing.
Hold a Full Driving Licence and be available to drive nationwide to various client’s outlets.
Must hold knowledge of stock control systems and ordering of parts for various pieces of equipment.
Knowledge of Health & Safety.
Strong written and oral communication.

To apply for this position please contact Catherina Forde at Sigmar Recruitment.

Telephone: +353 91 749 261 | Email: cforde@sigmar.ie.

To check out more Jobs In Galway, see: sigmarrecruitment.com

All applications will be treated with the strictest of confidence. Sigmar will never forward your CV to a third party without prior consent.

Galway has Ireland’s 2nd highest level of COVID cases for second day

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October 23, 2020