Approval sought to use student accommodation at former Westwood Hotel site for tourists

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May 14, 2020

People Before Profit is calling for an increase in mental health funding after it was revealed that 169 people in the West have been waiting over a year to see a counsellor.

All of those who have been waiting for more than 12 months to be seen by the HSE’s National Counselling Service are in just three counties – Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

People Before Profit has said that preventative measures should be emphasised to reduce mental health problems.

These include increased welfare spending, especially on income support, child care, social care, jobs and housing.

“We need to take mental health and loneliness seriously,” said the party’s spokesperson in Galway Adrian Curran. “Implement the progressive proposals from Vision for Change 2020 – the HSE‘s strategy document which sets out the direction for Mental Health Services in Ireland.

“It describes a framework for building and fostering positive mental health across the entire community and for providing accessible, community-based, specialist services for people with mental illness.”

Curran added that the mental health budget needs to be increased, and that there should be a move away from the reliance on drug treatment towards the use of other therapies, and open 24-hour psychiatric care facilities.

“This is clearly a problem all over the country but it appears the West of Ireland is suffering the most from a lack of investment in our mental health,” he added.

Burst main causing water outages in Clifden

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May 14, 2020

Galway daily news Water outages in multiple areas of Galway due to burst mains

A burst water main is causing outages to homes and businesses in the Clifden area this afternoon.

Irish Water has reported that a burst water main may disrupt the supply to properties on Westport Road, Clifden and surrounding areas.

Repairs will be carried out on the burst pipe from 3pm to 7pm on Thursday.

It may take 2 – 3 hours after these are complete before full supply is restored.

Updates can be found on Irish Water’s Supply and Service page

People with cancelled flights entitled to a refund, EU decides

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May 14, 2020

Galway Daily news flight cancellation cancelled Government backs credit note refund for Irish travel agent and tour operator holidays

People who bought airline tickets for flights that were cancelled are entitled to a full refund, the European Union has clarified.

The EU decided yesterday that the European Commission will support efforts to make vouchers an attractive alternative to refunds, but people are nonetheless entitled to receive their money back if they wish.

Millions of passengers across the world have had their travel plans disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, and East Galway TD Ciaran Cannon said several constituents have contacted him to seek clarity on the situation regarding refunds.

“In the past few days, the government has stated that under the EU Travel Package Directive, people who have had to cancel bookings because of the pandemic are entitled to a cash refund and this entitlement will continue to apply,” said Minister Cannon.

“The Government has also agreed to back a new refund credit note that travel agents and tour operators can offer their customers.

“I therefore wish to highlight the further clarity that has emerged from the EU that European consumers are entitled to a refund if that is what they wish.”

Ryanair is one of many airlines offering vouchers to those who bought tickets for flights that were subsequently cancelled. Ryanair vouchers will remain valid for one year.

“Certainly, our airline industry is under intense pressure at the present time and the Commission has acknowledged this by committing to supporting efforts to make vouchers an attractive alternative to refunds,” added the Fine Gael TD.

“This is a hugely difficult time for all sectors, but we should take some solace from the outlook of the European Commissioner for Economy who has said that there will be a tourist season this summer even if it is one subject to limitations.”

Galway Hospice warns of scam door to door collections

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May 14, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway Hospice warns of scam door to door collections

Galway Hospice has issued a warning of scammers going door to door, claiming to collect money for the important charity, cautioning people to call the gardaí if this happens.

“Unfortunately, there are people calling door-to-door purporting to be raising funds in aid of Galway Hospice,” a post on the hospice’s facebook page read.

The hospice says that it “does not permit or support door-to-door collections at any time, and most especially not during this time of important social distancing.

“If a person calls to your door that you do not know, collecting for Galway Hospice, please DON’T DONATE, but contact your local Garda Station immediately with a description of the person collecting”.

The hospice, like many other charities, has seen its ability to raise funds badly hurt by the Covid-19 crisis.

The public restrictions on gatherings and movement have made many fundraising activities such as collections at public events or on the street impossible.

This is at a time when the charity’s services are in greater demand than ever, prompting the hospice to appeal for people to take part in online fundraisers, as many charities have been doing.

Unfortunately, there are people calling door-to-door purporting to be raising funds in aid of Galway Hospice. Galway…

Posted by Galway Hospice on Friday, May 8, 2020

Charges for outdoor seating at businesses should be frozen Cheevers says

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May 14, 2020

Galway Daily news Pedestrianising of city streets

Galway City Council is being urged to suspend all charges for outdoor seating at restaurants, pubs, and cafés to support the hospitality sector.

Councillor Alan Cheevers has said the council should freeze the outdoor seating licence fee to support the hospitality sector when Covid-19 restrictions start lifting.

There has been deep concern expressed by businesses across the hospitality sector that social distancing restrictions will make it economically nonviable to full reopen, even as the country’s lockdown restrictions are lifted over the summer.

Café and restaurants will currently not be allowed to reopen until Phase 3 of the government’s roadmap out of the Covid-19 crisis, which is set to begin on June 29.

Pubs will not be allowed to reopen until August 10, Phase 5 of the roadmap, though publicans have warned that this will put many pubs out of business permanently.

They have asked the government to consider letting them reopen at the end of June, and the same time as other hospitality businesses.

“It is going to be very challenging with social distancing for this sector as businesses start to open and the outdoor extra seating will be important part of this to create revenue.” Alan Cheevers said.

Suspending outdoor seating charges is just one of many measures that will be needed to s

“These businesses are vital to the tourism industry in the city. At present many in the hospitality sector in city have expressed concern on the viability of opening with the social distance restrictions measures that will be implemented.

“I believe suspending the outdoor Licence fee until end of year will be a start and helpful. I am also asking the city council to credit businesses for next year who may already have payed.”

Cities across Europe and elsewhere are adopting innovative measures to try and support businesses which will still be operating under social distancing for the foreseeable future.

Many are considering pedestrianising streets and turning them over to outdoor seating for struggling restaurants, such as the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, which has turned many city centre streets over the pedestrians and businesses.

Underwater earthquakes and whale songs – Atlantic seismometers return to Galway

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May 14, 2020

The groaning of the earth in underwater earthquakes and the the songs of great baleen whales in the North Atlantic are some of the incredible sounds recorded in one of Europe’s most ambitious deep-ocean research projects which returned to the Port of Galway this week.

For the past 19 months a network of ocean floor seismometers have been gathering data from the Atlantic floor off the west coast of Ireland.

This week an expedition to retrieve the seismometers consisting of six scientists and a small crew aboard the RV Celtic Explorer returned to Galway Port after three weeks at sea.

They delivered new insights into earthquakes off the Irish coast, the potential for enhanced tsunami warning systems, and the migration patterns of North Atlantic whales.

The SEA-SEIS project is led by scientists from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

“When the seismometers were deployed in 2018, they were programmed to run until this time,” seismologist and project lead Dr. Sergei Lebedev said.

“This meant that the expedition was time-critical. if we didn’t retrieve the equipment in the past weeks, we risked losing the valuable seismometers – and the even more valuable data they have collected.”

In total, 18 sesimometers were deployed across an area spanning over 1,500 kilometres from North to South and over 1,000 kilometres from East to West.

“We went west from Galway to the stations within the underwater Rockall Trough first, then made our way North along the western coast, retrieving the seismometers as we went, heading towards Iceland and the mid-ocean ridge and circling back around to Galway after three weeks at sea.”

Once the data has been properly analysed, it will shed new light on the nature, occurrence, and frequency of earthquakes off the Irish coast, and help better understand the forces that shape the Atlantic.

“This is important for better understanding both the natural hazards and natural resources offshore,” he said.

The instruments have also made long recordings of the great baleen whales, including the Blue, Fin, Humpback and North Atlantic Right whales, to help understand their migration patterns.

“Many people do not realise how vast Ireland’s offshore territory is. In fact, 90 per cent of Ireland’s territory is offshore, most of it to the west of the country.”

“Far beneath the ocean waves, there are spectacular mountains and deep valleys, with steep slopes and elevation drops of up to four kilometres.”

“There are also many extinct volcanoes, similar to those that formed the Giant’s Causeway,” Dr Lebedev explained.

The SEA-SEIS project was the first to ever deploy such a large array of seismometers across the North Atlantic, and will be crucial to understanding the makeup of Ireland’s offshore territory.

Coronavirus: 10 more Covid-19 deaths, but only small bump in Galway cases

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May 13, 2020

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

Another 10 deaths related to Covid-19 have been reported today, the lowest daily figure seen since late March, and another 159 cases have been confirmed in the state.

There have now been 1,497 deaths in the state related to Covid-19, and the number of confirmed cases stands at 23,401.

There were only two new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Galway reported today, a quarter of the figure confirmed on Tuesday when eight cases were reported.

Chief Medical Office Dr Tony Holohan said “I would urge everyone to become familiar with the behaviours that we all need to maintain, including respiratory etiquette, physical distancing and handwashing.”

“As we begin to think about easing restrictions these behaviours will become even more important.”

The first phase of easing the country’s lockdown restrictions is due to begin next Monday, May 18.

To date, 84% of people who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered the Department of Health has said.

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said “”We have been provided with additional data today regarding cases with underlying health conditions.

“Of 15,450 cases where information is available, 53% had at least one underlying condition. The most common underlying conditions reported are chronic heart disease (15%), chronic respiratory disease (11%) and diabetes (6%).”

Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Monday 11 May (23,144 cases), reveals:

57% are female and 43% are male
the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years
3,050 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
of those hospitalised, 389 cases have been admitted to ICU
6,997 cases are associated with healthcare workers
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,242 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,344 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,238 cases (5%)
of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 60%, close contact accounts for 37%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

INMO warns of “severe” shortage of nurses due to pandemic

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May 13, 2020

A significant increase in the number of undergraduate nursing and midwifery places is needed at Irish colleges in order to avoid even greater staffing pressure after this pandemic the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has warned.

The INMO has said that the Covid-19 pandemic is likely lead to a severe drop in overseas recruitment of nurses, whom make up a significant portion of the nation’s workforce.

Of the 3,700 nurses and midwives who joined the nursing and midwifery register in Ireland last year, 13% (183) had trained elsewhere in the EU, while 49%, (1,189) were trained outside of the EU.

To combat a predicted downturn in overseas recruitment, the INMO is calling for an increase in the number of nursing and midwifery positions available to prospective students, and a strong message against any recruitment moratorium.

“We must ensure that frontline staff are given the support and resources they need to do their job. To provide safe care, we need to build up our staffing levels,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

“Ireland must continue to recruit staff from around the world, but also to train more ourselves. We train far fewer nurses and midwives than we need, but we know that thousands more want to join the nursing family.

“Over 5,000 motivated students put nursing or midwifery as their first preference in the CAO last year. We should ensure that more places are available to accommodate them.”

€5 million announced for social innovation non-profits responding to COVID-19

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May 13, 2020

galway daily news social innovation fund non profits

A new €5 Million fund has been launched to support emerging innovations that address current and long-term social, economic and environmental challenges.

The Innovate Together Fund was launched today by the Social Innovation Fund Ireland, in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Social Innovation Fund Ireland has called on companies, foundations, families and individuals to donate to this initiative.

Medtronic Foundation — a charitable foundation dedicated to improving health among underserved populations has set an example for the philanthropic community through a €70,000 donation.

Minister Seán Canney TD said he is delighted to launch the fund which will help organisations across the country who contribute so much to our society.

“The Government has pledged to provide €5 million via the Dormant Accounts Fund so that as many organisations as possible can get the help they need to help to continue to support those affected most by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Minister Canney.

Paurvi Bhatt, President of the Medtronic Foundation added: “We know this pandemic is disproportionately affecting underserved populations around the world, including in Ireland where Medtronic is headquartered.

“We are proud to support the Innovate Together Fund to help fund local organizations delivering critical services to those in need.”

Galway TD calls for clarity on July Provision for children with special needs

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May 13, 2020

Galway Daily credit unions sport Television broadcast deal sidelines GAA fans says Rabbitte

East Galway TD Anne Rabbitte has called on the Minister for Education to clarify the status of the July Education Programme, also known as the ‘July Provision’.

The July Provision provides funding for an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability or children with autism.

But with the curtailing of the school year, parents now need to know what the position is regarding the scheme, the Fianna Fáil TD has said.

Parents of children with special needs have contacted the TD, expressing concerns that without this scheme, there will be no structure or routine in their children’s lives until September when the schools are expected to return.

“While I am the first to advocate that we adhere to the public health guidelines, England has set out a roadmap to some schools and children returning to classrooms in June,” said Deputy Rabbitte.

“I believe the Department, the Government, and the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) must give guidance on whether the school year can be extended to accommodate students who fall under the July Provision scheme in some way, even if this means the scheme being pushed out to August.”

She added that if this is not feasible, other options must be considered.

“I appreciate home schooling may not be suitable this summer if we cannot see schools return, but the scheme needs to be altered accordingly.

“For children with special needs routine is so important.

“Like almost everyone of us, routines have been broken up since March 12^th when the first public health guidelines were introduced.

With a final decision yet to be made – I am urging Minister McHugh to consider all alternatives which may see parents and children avail of this scheme,” concluded Deputy Rabbitte.

Ireland secures access for pork exports to Mexico

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May 13, 2020

Irish companies supplying pig meat will be able to export their products to Mexico, after Ireland secured access to the Mexican market.

There will be opportunities for companies supplying frozen leg and shoulder products in particular, Bord Bia research states.

East Galway TD Ciaran Cannon said it is his understanding that pork is highly regarded by consumers in Mexico as a healthy source of protein.

The North American country is the third largest importer of pork in the world.

“The agricultural community can take great optimism from my colleague Minister Creed’s announcement that Ireland has now secured access for the export of pigmeat to Mexico,” said Minister Cannon.

“Access to more non-EU markets will continue to strengthen the profile of Irish pigmeat products in international markets which were worth €275m in 2019 and this will be a welcome boost to our farmers as the government continues to secure new export market opportunities.”

The Fine Gael TD also welcomed a recent statement by the IFA which says farmers are beginning to see signs of recovery.

The phased re-opening of Supermac’s, which has been a strong supporter of Irish beef producers, has been a welcome development for farmers, he said.

Galway goes global with massive online technology event

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May 13, 2020

An international line-up of expert speakers has been announced for one of Ireland’s biggest tech events taking place next week.

The AtlanTec Festival 2020 will be held online from 18 May and will feature researchers from NUI Galway who are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with solutions such as applying AI.

Over 30 online events will delve into hot-topics in tech and digital innovation – and business leaders, entrepreneurs and technologists, among others, will be able to connect from wherever they are in the world.

There will also be a fun social element with a Tech Quiz on 20 May.

“In light of the pandemic restrictions and reflecting a changed world, the AtlanTec Festival has adapted and this year we are going virtual,” said Caroline Cawley, Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit ITAG which runs the event.

“Our mission is to promote, strengthen and grow the information technology industry along the Wild Atlantic Way.

“It’s a credit to all involved here locally and to our speakers from around the world that we are adopting tech — to talk tech — and pushing ahead with such a mammoth event.”

Now in its sixth year, the festival usually takes places around various Galway venues with in-company events hosted by large tech companies and start-ups in the region.

The festival normally ends with a day-long conference at NUI Galway with up to 400 attendees.

Fiona Neary, Innovation Operations Manager with NUI Galway’s Innovation Office, will moderate sessions on the university’s COVID-19 research responses and start-ups in the region.

“The west of Ireland has a vibrant ICT sector with particular strengths in enterprise software.

“We have the perfect mix of third-level education institutes, high-potential start-ups and supports, innovative indigenous companies and multinational corporations. What we also have is some amazing people with incredible knowledge and insights to share.

“It’s so great to get together again for AtlanTec – even if it’s to be virtually this year,” she said.

Free registration is open now at www.atlantec.ie

100 new ideas suggested during Change Our Streets meeting

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May 13, 2020

Removing kissing gates was one of over 100 new ideas suggested during a successful Change Our Streets meeting held online yesterday evening.

More than 80 people attended the public meeting to put forward their ideas about how the council could make Galway streets friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians during the COVID-19 emergency.

The Change Our Streets campaign has been gathering momentum following an open letter sent to Galway City Council which was was co-signed by nearly 200 individuals and organisations.

Martina Callanan of Galway Cycling Campaign said that they were delighted with the number of people who attended the public meeting, and that they will send the Council an updated list of the growing number of co-signatories.

“Last night we crowdsourced over 100 specific ideas, from removing kissing gates to creating safe routes to school. We welcome more ideas on an open spreadsheets available on our website.

“We will present the ideas of Galway’s citizens to the Council. We will also host a private briefing for political representatives, and another for the business community,” said Martina Callanan.

Among those in attendance at yesterday’s meeting were City Councillors Eddie Hoare, John Connnolly and Owen Hanley, and County Councillors Alistair McKinstry and Shelly Herterich Quinn.

Last week’s Open Letter to Galway City Council listed ways to make public spaces safer for everyone to maintain 2 metre social distancing for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency this summer.

In addition to those who signed the letter, more than 30 organisations have since voiced their support for the campaign.

City Council approves Covid-19 emergency funding for 15 organisations

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May 13, 2020

Galway Daily news Grants available to community groups in Galway City affected by COVID

Galway City Council has approved grant money totalling almost €30k for 15 community and voluntary organisations under the Covid-19 Emergency Fund.

The €29,180 is being delivered to the 15 projects to cover exceptional, once-off costs related to the response to COVID-19.

It makes up part of the government’s Community Call initiative which has seen greater coordination of state and voluntary resources than ever before in response to this crisis.

A key element of the Community Call has been the Response Forum established by each local authority to serve as a hub for community groups and state agencies.

The Community Call Helpline, which forms part of this is here for anyone you may know who needs:

Food, household items, fuel, medications collected or delivered
Someone to talk to or other social supports
Meals delivery
Response to Garda related concerns
Help with other medical or health needs

The Galway City Community Call Helpline is Freephone 1800 400 150 with lines open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

The dedicated email address is covidsupport@galwaycity.ie.

The Department of Rural and Community Development provided this funding to Galway City Council to administer locally to local community and voluntary groups.

The full list of groups and their projects in Galway City which have been approved for funding is:

Name of Group / Organisation	Purpose of Funding	Amount Approved
Family Carers Ireland	COVID-19 PPE pack for Family Carers	€1,500
Galway Centre for Independent Living	Purchase of PPE for personal assistants and home help personnel	€2,646.22
Ard Family Resource Centre	Printing flyers/posters in different languages with COVID-19 advice	€359.81
Domestic Violence Response	Increase front line service provision to provide practical and emotional support	€4,000
Enable Ireland	Purchase of ICT equipment for remote service provision	€3,513
Blood Bike West Ltd.	Funding to cover additional operating costs in line with increased service provision	€1,000
Irish Wheelchair Association	Purchase of ICT equipment for online / remote access with vulnerable members	€1,177.85
Galway Red Cross	Purchase of PPE for volunteers	€572.78
Galway City Community Network	Funding support for the provision of meals for families in need	€1,000
Galway City Partnership	COVID-19 Carebox for older people and people cocooning	€2,250
Galway City Partnership	Purchase 6 ACORN age friendly smart tablets	€3,180
COPE Galway	Increase production and service provision for Meals4Health	€5,000
Independent Living Movement Ireland (Galway Activism)	Develop and provide online workshops and peer support	€1,000
Croí Heart & Stroke Charity	Deliver specialist stroke exercise sessions	€980
Galway Traveller Movement	Funding for wrap around service provision for Traveller families in need	€1,000

Tour de Conamara 2020 cycling event cancelled

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May 13, 2020

The 2020 ŠKODA Tour de Conamara cycling event that takes place in Clifden each year has been cancelled due to uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

The cancellation of the cycling event comes after it had already been pushed back earlier this year.

The Tour de Conamara was originally scheduled to take place on May 23, but it was announced back in March that it would be pushed back to August 29.

That date has also proved to be nonviable, and the 2020 event has now been called off altogether.

Event organiser Mark O’Connell said that it was felt that this is the wisest course of action with so much uncertainty surrounding social distancing, event capacity, and how large scale events should proceed this year.

“We hope cyclists appreciate our position but public health is the most important
consideration at the moment.”

“The event has been rescheduled for May 2021 and we plan for an even bigger welcome back to Clifden for cyclists and supporters of the ŠKODA Celtic Series events.

“The early decision was taken with the health and wellbeing of our cyclists, event team and host communities as our priority in making this decision.”

The leisure cycling event attracts in excess of 4,500 participants and visitors to Connemara
annually representing a significant tourism event in the Galway events calendar.

Ciara Breen, Head of Sponsorship and Events with ŠKODA explained all ŠKODA Celtic Series 2020 events have now been cancelled.

“Together we must all play our part in overcoming Covid 19 and we believe this is the right decision in these uncertain times particularly surrounding large scale mass participation events.”

“Each of the events attract a lot of participants who make a holiday of the events and we need to support those visitors make new plans.”

“Our event research has shown that the vast majority of participants travel from outside the host county to Clifden and surrounding areas with a large influx from overseas cyclists.”

The sportive is now rescheduled to take place on Saturday May 29, 2021.

Coronavirus: 24 more Covid-19 deaths reported, Galway cases rise again

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May 12, 2020

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

Another 24 people have been killed by the coronavirus the NPHET has reported today, while an additional 107 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the state.

The national death toll due to Covid-19 has now reached 1,488, while a total of 23,242 cases have been confirmed in Ireland.

Galway saw one of its largest recent spikes with 8 new confirmed cases today, bringing the county’s total to 400 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan said, “We are continuing to examine the progress of the disease and though we are still making progress, which is giving us real encouragement, we need to keep going.

“We still have 70 people in ICU and over 500 people in hospital. We have more work to do.”

Dr Holohan and director general of the HSE Paul Reid will be the first witnesses called before the new Dáil Covid-19 committee when it meets for the first time next week.

They are expected to be questioned about testing and tracing, as well as plans to return parts of the economy to work next week.

Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Sunday 10th May (23,089 cases), reveals:

57% are female and 42% are male
The median age of confirmed cases is 49 years
3,031 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
Of those hospitalised, 386 cases have been admitted to ICU
6,906 cases are associated with healthcare workers
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,235 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,337 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,234 cases (5%)
Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 61%, close contact accounts for 36%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

As of midnight on Monday, 258,808 tests for the coronavirus have been carried out

Rachel Kenna, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health said “Today marks International Nurses Day and 2020 is also International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

“We did not expect to be marking this year amidst a Global Pandemic, however, our fellow nurses and midwives have risen to the challenge and remain a vital resource to our health service.”

“Our nurses and midwives are working in high risk situations on a daily basis, delivering care in PPE, making personal sacrifices and continuing to provide compassionate care in a stressful environment.”

“The public actions over the last number of weeks have meant nurses and midwives can continue to deliver care to those who need it. Please continue to support them during this time, hold firm and stay safe.”

More than €225,000 LEADER funding awarded to East Galway projects

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May 12, 2020

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

More than €225,000 in funding from the LEADER programme has been awarded to five sports and community projects in East Galway.

The LEADER awards include €135,736 for major upgrading works at Clarinbridge GAA Club and €61,235 for the renovation of a herd’s cottage at Carrantryla Park, Dunmore

Ardrahan GAA Club has been allocated €10,313 for walkway lighting, and another €10,150 will go towards upgrading works at Dunmore Community Centre.

Finally, €8,342 has been awarded for upgrading works at Loughnane and Quinn Memorial Hall, Ardrahan.

Galway East TD and Minister of State Seán Canney said that he is delighted at the funding announcement, adding that the LEADER programme is a “vital support” for rural Ireland.

A particular benefit of the programme, he added, is that it “targets disadvantaged areas and has made a great difference to our local communities.”

“I want to congratulate all those groups and organisations that have been successful in the current round.”

Grant aid provided by the LEADER project from the Department of Rural and Community Development falls under one of three categories.

Economic Development, Enterprise Development, and Job Creation; Social Inclusion; and the Rural Environment.

The programme is administered by Local Action Groups like Galway Rural Development, which are responsible for selecting and approving projects in their area.

GMIT engineers develop low-cost emergency ventilator

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May 12, 2020

Galway Daily news GMIT develops low cost emergency ventilator

Staff at GMIT have bent their talents towards helping frontline services while colleges are closed by developing a new type of low-cost emergency ventilator.

This mechanical ventilator can be produced rapidly and inexpensively to assist the medical profession in the treatment of COIVD-19 patients as global demand for this life saving piece of equipment remains higher than ever.

GMIT is one of numerous teams, nationally and internationally, working towards finding an alternative solution to the anticipated global demand as, currently, certified ventilators can cost tens of thousands of euro upfront.

“This new emergency ventilator automates the squeezing of a manual Bag-Valve-Mask resuscitator, so that it can act as a rudimentary ventilator to aid a person breathing, or to replicate some basic ventilation functions,” explains Dr Oliver Mulryan, GMIT.

“The system is designed out of bio-grade, readily available and laser cut material, so that it can be built anywhere or by anyone as a last resort if needed.”

Their ultimate goal he explained, is to make the calibrated device plans, regulating flow, pressure, and oxygen levels, completely free and open source for anyone to use, pending regulatory approval.

Currently a low-cost prototype has been developed together with local company Collins Plastic, and they are in the process of adding automation and control functions to the device.

Oftentimes having to licence highly specialised software can be a crippling expense for technology projects, which is why GMIT has designed their ventilator to work with low cost controllers that can be programmed with open source software.

James Boyle, Head of the Advanced Craft Certificate Programme for Electrical Installation, GMIT, says: “The breathing cycle and air volume delivery is fully controllable using simple rotary dial controls.

“We have also included pressure monitoring, which can be applied to BVMs that have a manometer port.”

The project is led by Mr Boyle and Dr Mulryan and the team includes Pat Cassidy from the Dept of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, David McDonnell and Dr Alan Hannon from the Dept of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,

As well as Liam Collins and Kate Thompson from Collins Plastics, Ballina, Co Mayo, who provided not alone their time and expertise, but also the materials and machining.

World health experts have stated there are likely to be several waves of outbreaks and that a large increase in conventional ventilator production is still likely to fall short of the global demand, and for some the associated costs are likely to be prohibitive.

“In Ireland there are approximately 1,300 ventilators available, and in mid-March the Health Service Executive ordered 900 new ventilators specifically for the treatment of patients with Covid 19,” explains Dr Mulryan.

“In the US, by contrast, there is a broad range of forecast estimates on the number of ventilators required, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions depending on the severity of infections, the transmission rates and the effectiveness of countermeasures.”

Gerard MacMichael, Head of the GMIT School of Engineering, says: “Putting a team together to design and manufacture a ventilator within weeks would normally be a challenge in the best of times”.

“But to achieve this during the COVID-19 containment is extraordinary and is a reflection of the dedication and the enthusiasm of the GMIT engineering staff involved and Collins Plastics’ commitment to the project.”

Galway siblings take on 14 day “Burpee Challenge” for charity

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Sheila Ní Bheaglaoich

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May 12, 2020