Moycullen Bypass construction expected to start this year

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May 7, 2020

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

A further 29 deaths due to Covid-19 have been reported by the Department of Health today. The national toll due to this pandemic now stands at 1,403 deaths.

In Galway, 5 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported, one less than on Wednesday, bringing the total in the county to 380.

The county remains at the lower end of the scale nationally, still accounting for just 1.8% of infections nationwide.

Nationwide the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 137 new cases of Covid-19, meaning there are now 22,385 confirmed cases in Ireland.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Office at the Department of Health, said that the country has achieved its goal of “suppressing the disease”, with the virus’ reproduction rate now standing at between 0.5 and 0.6.

“It was not easy for anyone but there is no question that our collective effort has saved lives.”

“Now we look to the pattern of COVID-19 going forward, as we attempt to ease restrictions.

“These weeks are just as important as the first weeks of our response. Our behaviours are crucial in maintaining our progress and keeping the reproduction number below 1.”

The data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Tuesday, May 5 (22,186 cases), reveals:

57% are female and 43% are male
The median age of confirmed cases is 49 years
2,891 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
Of those hospitalised, 376 cases have been admitted to ICU
6,498 cases are associated with healthcare workers
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 10,840 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,302 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,197 cases (5%)
Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 62%, close contact accounts for 35%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Modelling Advisory Group, said; “The number of ICU admissions, new cases and deaths is now falling and has been for over a week.”

“This is driven by a reduction of transmission of the virus in the community and reinforces the importance of our behaviours going forward.”

Electricity and gas charges suspended for closed businesses

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May 7, 2020

Galway Daily new scheme to save businesses electricity costs

Small businesses closed as a result of the Covid-19 crisis can get some relief under a new scheme to suspend gas and electricity network charges.

The temporary Supply Suspension Scheme has been agreed on by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, along with gas and electricity suppliers.

Meant to alleviate pressure on SMEs, the scheme ensure that qualifying customers will have no energy or network charges billed for their business premises.

The CRU is conscious of the challenges that both domestic and non-domestic customers are facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” commented Aoife MacEvilly, Chairperson of the CRU.

“The domestic customer protection measures that were announced in March and extended to June 16 have provided a level of security for those customers.”

“The measure announced today should support SME’s and their suppliers by avoiding the build-up of debt and facilitating the vital SME sector to get back up and running quickly when the current trading restrictions are lifted.”

In order to qualify for the scheme, businesses must be classified as a non-essential service provider, have been trading before March 13, and closed continuously since March 28 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

The goals of the scheme are to reduce the risk of bad debt accumulating in the energy sector, and to make it easier for small and medium sized enterprises to return to business.

The scheme opened on May 1, and will continue until July 31 under the management of the CRU.

Minister Richard Bruton welcomed the scheme, saying “Electricity and gas charges are typically a small proportion of many business’s overall costs; however it is important that everything possible is done to support enterprise during this particularly difficult time.”

“The measures being announced today will also ensure that enterprises can return to operation as quickly as possible once the public health restrictions are revised.”

Denis O’Sullivan, Managing Director at Gas Networks Ireland said “Gas Networks Ireland recognises the difficulty facing these businesses during the Covid-19 crisis.”

“In particular we understand the financial pressure on small businesses that have effectively closed as a result of Covid-19.”

“To try and alleviate some of the financial pressure, Gas Networks Ireland will forego network charges for a period of three months.”

“We hope that this measure, along with other supports from government, will assist these businesses in getting back on their feet as quickly as possible and support overall economic recovery.”

Calls for Beef Market Taskforce to reconvene remotely

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May 7, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway farmers awarded €2.2 million under beef finisher scheme

Calls have been made for the Beef Market Taskforce to reconvene via video link after more than three months since its last meeting.

The Beef Market Taskforce last met in early January, and while there were tentative plans for it to meet again in March, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted those.

Galway Roscommon TD Micheal Fitzmaurice has said that it is “imperative” that the taskforce get back to work as soon as possible, an suggested that video conferencing should be used to enable this.

“A number of public representatives logged on recently to discuss a variety of issues with the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, and his officials. We have to take advantage of this technology when it is not possible to meet in person.”

The Independent TD said that beef prices are “languishing” at around €3.40 per kilo, and that limited services at marts due to Covid-19 restrictions are making it harder for farmers to sell cattle.

Fitzmaurice warned that beef farmers are struggling for cashflow at the present, and cannot be expected to continue producing at such low prices.

“While the department may be liaising with the stakeholders on a one-to-one basis, it is imperative that constructive discussions and debate can be facilitated between all of the stakeholders in order to devise a roadmap for the sector.”

“The Covid-19 outbreak has inflicted more pressure on the sector, and the department needs to reconvene the taskforce as a matter of urgency.”

Deputy Fitzmaurice said that the apparent “lack of information or leadership” from the Department of Agriculture is leaving farmers frustrated.

“There is no excuse not to hold a meeting of the Beef Market Taskforce via video link in the very near future,” he concluded.

Galway’s CÚRAM medical devices centre helps primary school kids practice mad science at home

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May 7, 2020

Galway Daily news Four Galway-based healthcare projects awarded over €19 million

Galway’s CÚRAM Research Centre for Medical Devices is helping primary school teachers trying to keep their students engaged while teaching online with a range of lesson plans for our nations’ budding mad scientists to try at home.

Primary school resources from CÚRAM’s Teachers in Residence programme have been adapted to help teachers deliver STEM education online in the current crisis.

These lesson plan kits have been developed by primary school teachers, in collaboration with CÚRAM researchers, and have been made with fifth and sixth class students in mind.

Five presentations, recorded by Teachers in Residence programme manager Dr Sarah Gundy, are now available, supplemented by downloadable lesson plans.

Dr Gundy, together with CÚRAM’s researchers are also offering primary school classes their very own ‘Ask a Scientist’ session in collaboration with their teachers either via email or as part of an online session.

Pre-recorded lesson plan presentations include:

Healing the Heart: Learn basic heart anatomy, how a heart attack occurs and how to keep their hearts healthy. Follow up activities include construct a large diagram of the heart which can used to play “Heart Twister” at home!
Mending the Musculoskeletal System: Learn about bones, muscles, and tendons, and how doctors currently treat damage to these tissues. Follow up activities show how to construct a model hand and act as a surgeon to fix a tendon using a Biomedical Engineering Kit from material you have at home.
Fixing the Brain: Learn how nerves send and receive messages, and the causes of Parkinson’s disease. Students can build their own medical devices to treat Parkinson’s disease and test the devices by making jelly “brains” at home.
Exploring Stem Cells: Learn about how stem cells are used by animals to heal their bodies. Students build model animals using cells made from playdough, and fix their injured animals by using playdough stem cells or building prosthetic devices.
What are Biomaterials?: Learn about medical devices, and natural and synthetic sources of biomaterials. Students can make their own biomaterials at home (using slime!) to fix soft tissues.

Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM, said “We are very conscious of the difficulties faced by parents and teachers trying to continue to deliver quality content in a completely new format.

“We would like to offer these ready to use resources that deal with a very relevant and topical area of research to support the huge efforts being made by parents and teachers in a very challenging time.”

In addition to this, CÚRAM has also added ‘Bite-Sized Science’ activities to its website, offering quick, uncomplicated science activities for teachers or parents to share with children at home.

These activities are designed to be completed with the simplest of ingredients and materials, using everyday items found in most homes, and plenty of recyclables.

Should kids take an especially keen interest, links will be provided that allow them to delve a little deeper into the science behind the experiment.

Galway East TD throws support behind movement for more street space in Galway

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May 7, 2020

galway city galway daily cafe restaurant street space galway

All five Galway West TDs signed yesterday’s Open Letter to Galway City Council which suggested several creative and popular ideas for street space to be better allocated in the city.

The call for additional street space in Galway to be made available for cycling, walking and eating in recent days and weeks has been echoed by Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon.

Minister Ciaran Cannon has thrown his support behind the growing call for this to become a reality, saying that a redrawing of road-space would help make the necessity of social distancing serve both health and the economy.

“While no one can yet determine how long the current crisis is going to last, we can be certain that it is going to mean an alteration in how all aspects of daily business are conducted for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Minister Cannon said that this is as true for travelling about as for any other aspect of life.

Because of this, he said he is more than happy to give his full support to the initiative underway for the re-allocation of road-spaces in our cities and towns during the pandemic.

“Almost 65,000 people live within a 20 minute bike ride from Eyre Square and providing safe spaces for cycling commuters would surely take hundreds of cars off our roads every day.

“We also need to examine the possibility of a park and bike ride facility at Galway Airport, with creation of a dedicated bike lane from Carnmore to the city.

“Effectively, what we need right now is a re-drawing of road-spaces to better accommodate cyclists and walkers which would entail installing cycle lanes, widening of footpath spaces and temporarily closing off of some roads to facilitate the endeavour,” said Minister Cannon.

Restaurants have shown their support for the re-allocation of street space and more car-free areas.

JP McMahon of Aniar and Tartare Café and Wine Bar said: “Restaurants, cafés and bars need more street space so people can ‘eat-on-the street’ and enjoy outdoor dining this summer while social distancing.

“Making more space to help restaurants and cafes to survive is paramount if we are to get through this pandemic together.”

Speaking about the huge potential benefit this would bring to restaurants, Minister Ciaran Cannon added: “The restaurant sector recognises its potential for boosting business as the enhanced space on footpaths presents ready opportunities to re-engage with customers while observing social distancing protocols.

“Moreover, the fact that the campaign is being backed by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society speaks volumes for its` potential for healthier outcomes for people who opt for cycling and walking rather than driving”.

Minister Cannon is urging both the City and the County Council to give these suggestions every consideration at the earliest possible opportunity.

City cemeteries to start reopening from May 18

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May 7, 2020

Galway Daily news Cemetery opening hours

Bohermore and Rahoon cemeteries in Galway City will begin reopening to visitors from May 18 when the country starts lifting its Covid-19 public restrictions.

The two cemeteries have been closed for everything except burials by order of the city council since the start of April due to the current crisis.

Even then, attendance at burials has been limited to immediate family members, with no more than 10 people in attendance.

The move sparked frustration from some commentators who noted that people generally stay in small groups and keep their distance from one another when visiting graves

Mayor of Galway City Mike Cubbard said on facebook on Wednesday that he has spoken to city officials about plans for the two cemeteries.

They intend to reopen them on a “limited basis” from May 18 Mayor Cubbard said he was advised.

“This may be on a reduced hours etc. with further detail to be given to elected members later this week/early next week.”

The current nationwide lockdown is due to begin coming to an end on May 18 when the first phase of the government’s roadmap to reopening the country will begin.

Restrictions on funeral attendance will not change at that time, but people will be able to meet in groups of up to 4 outside, as long as they practice social distancing.

Other outdoor spaces such as parks and beaches will also begin to reopen at this time.

Kilbannon Road Realignment scheme moves forward

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May 7, 2020

Galway Daily news Some traffic disruption is expected at the Galway-Roscommon county line today near Mountbellew due to roadworks taking place

The Kilbannon road realignment scheme to improve road safety on the R332 is progressing, with tender documents now being prepared for the project.

Galway East TD Seán Canney said that tenders for the road realignment scheme will be invited this summer.

“The design for the realignment was on pubic display in February and the planning process is expected to be completed this month.”

“Once planning is in place, the tender process can proceed. When that is completed, works can then commence on site.”

The project will include the installation of a footpath from the school to the football pitch to create a safe walking route for young people.

New public lighting will also be installed at the Kilbannon crossroads junction.

Deputy Canney welcomed the progress on the scheme, saying that the stretch of road between the school and football pitch has become very dangerous.

“The road has seen a massive increase in traffic since the opening of the new motorway and these works are essential to improve safety.”

Funding for the design, ground surveys, and planning process for the scheme was made available last year.

More recently, the Department of Transport allocated €500,000 for construction works on the project when it is ready to go ahead.

NUIG Students’ Union welcomes University’s decision to abandon 4% rent hike

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news House prices in Galway City fell in first three months of 2023

NUI Galway Students’ Union has today welcomed the University’s decision to provide a rent rebate for on-campus student accommodation for 2020/21.

This means that in September students renting in the campus Goldcrest and Corrib Village student accommodation will be entitled to apply for a 3-4% refund of their rent.

NUI Galway Students’ Union has been campaigning throughout this semester to
have the proposed rent increase stopped.

Students at the University and NUIG Cut the Rent participated in many forms of direct actions including a letter writing campaign, lobbying governors of the University, organising protests and camping out in the Quadrangle to object to the rent increases earlier this year.

The SU also organised petitions to stop the rent hike and spoke at the University Governing Authority meeting against this in March.

With the current global pandemic and the dire financial straits that students and their families find themselves, University has agreed that now is not the time for rent increases.

“We are delighted that the University has listened to the student body and reversed their earlier decision,” said Students’ Union President Clare Austick.

“We’ve driven this campaign forward for the last 4 months and are thankful for all the support we received from the wider community. We are all facing a very uncertain future with the COVID-19 Emergency.

“Adding any extra financial strain to students and their families is not acceptable. Now is a time to be kind and compassionate.

“We expect to be consulted if any big decisions are made in the future. We are determined to break down the barriers to education and will continue to work with the University to create equal opportunities for all.”

Coronavirus: 37 more deaths reported, Galway cases rise again

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May 6, 2020

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

Another 37 people have died due to Covid-19 it has been announced today, meaning that 1,375 people have now lost their lives in the Republic to the coronavirus.

Galway also saw the number of coronavirus infections rise again today, with an additional six cases reported.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases in Galway to 375, but the county still remains at the lower end of the scale nationally.

An additional 265 new cases of Covid-19 have also been confirmed today, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 22,248.

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, said that the World Health Organisation has advised that the future of living with the coronavirus will likely see recurring epidemic waves, interspersed with periods of low level transmission.

“This means that when Ireland eases social distancing restrictions, we may have periods of time when the numbers of people infected increases significantly.”

“This is why it is vitally important that easing of social distancing restrictions is accompanied by a high level of adherence to the fundamental, individual behaviours needed to guard against transmission of the virus. We have to adapt our behaviours in order to live safely with Covid-19.”

Data from the HPSC as of midnight Monday, May 4 (21,908 cases), reveals:

57% are female and 43% are male
the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years
2,878 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
of those hospitalised, 373 cases have been admitted to ICU
6,393 cases are associated with healthcare workers
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 10,734 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,289 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,192 cases (5%)
of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 62%, close contact accounts for 35%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said “78% of people who have been diagnosed to date with COVID-19 have recovered.”

“This is very welcome and in line with international experience, however, the course of this disease in any one individual remains unpredictable.

“It is important that we are all aware of the risks and know how to prevent its spread.”

Modular housing project in Westside ready to take families out of emergency accommodation

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news Modular housing project in Westside ready to take families out of emergency accommodation

Construction has been completed on a modular housing project in the Westside area of Galway City which aims to take homeless families out of private emergency accommodation.

The council owned emergency consists of 15 family units along with office space, meeting areas, and staff facilities, meant to take families currently stuck in hotels, b&b’s, and other emergency accommodation.

The site will be managed by the Peter McVerry Trust, who are finalising the fit out of the two and three bedroom units now.

Once that process is complete they will be able to start taking in families in Galway who have been stuck in homelessness.

This is the first initiative of its kind in the country, a spokesperson for Galway City Council said, which aims to support families transitioning into more long term housing.

It’s expected that families will stay here for periods of three to six months before hopefully moving to a more stable home.

The project was first approved in January of last year when Chief Executive of the city council Brendan McGrath used emergency powers to give it the go ahead.

When the project was presented to the city council a few days after this, McGrath said that he had used these powers to approve it in order to avoid objections which would have slowed its delivery.

The housing has been built on council owned land behind westside library, and has an intended lifespan of no more than five years while the council builds more social housing.

image credit: Galway City Council/Facebook

Calls for clarity on supports for children with special needs during pandemic

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Paul Kelly

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway Senator calls for clarity on supports for children with special needs during pandemic

The government must clarify what supports are available for children with special needs and their families in the Covid-19 crisis a Galway based senator has said.

Senator Ollie Crowe claims to have been recently contacted by a number of concerned parents whose children have special needs.

The Fianna Fàil senator described the current covid_19 crisis period as being “extremely challenging” for these parents.

He explained that there are various challenges for special needs children during the ongoing crisis, which can be attributed to the disruption of their daily routines.

These disruptions were said to have a particular negative impact on the child’s sleep and behavior.

“Parents have told me about their children not sleeping until 4am and then only for a few hours,” Ollie Crowe said.

The Galway based Senator outlined the current situation for these parents who are desperately relying on charity to provide relief support.

Unfortunately, this support is inadequate since it is only happening for a couple of hours at a time every few weeks.

In addition to this, Senator Crowe criticised the uncertainty surrounding the July Provision Programme, claiming that this is adding additional stress to parents.

The July Provision Programme is a scheme that provides funding for an extending of the school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability.

Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are also included in the scheme.

Ollie Crowe wrote of the assurances he has received from parents who claim that the schools their children attend are “well equipped to implement social distancing”.

Parents have contacted the Senator describing their situation as “simply unsustainable” and emphasised the importance of a return to normality.

The Senator declared that he would be “working on moving this forward this week and getting some answers”.

He expressed his sympathy for the parents while stating it was “difficult to explain how challenging it is for them”, and declared that the state has a “duty to implement supports as a matter of priority”

‘Change Our Streets’ Open Letter to City Council signed by 200 organisations and individuals

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May 6, 2020

galway daily open letter streets change our streets

Nearly 200 organisations and individuals have signed an Open Letter which was sent to Galway City Council today offering creative ideas on how we could ‘Change Our Streets’.

Led by the Galway Cycling Campaign, the city-wide alliance proposes making public spaces safer and more accessible for all ages and abilities for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.

Among those who signed the letter are Galway Chamber, Westend Traders, hospital consultants, Engineers Ireland west region, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland west region, and residents associations.

All five Galway West TDs have also co-signed the Open Letter, as well as councillors and Senators.

The letter suggests many ways Galway City can be inspired by Milan’s Open Street scheme, where 35 km of road space will be reallocated to people walking and cycling.

In addition, the city will cut the speed limit to 30 km/h to reduce risk of road traffic collisions and make public spaces more pleasant for people walking.

Many local authorities have already taken action, such as the installation of a new contra-flow cycling lane in Dublin’s Nassau Street, car-free zones by Fingal County Council, and the pedestrianisation of Cork’s Marina.

Kevin Jennings, chairperson of Galway Cycling Campaign said: “In the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19, city life will only begin to thrive again if people feel safe to keep social distance.

“This is important for cocooners going for a stroll, parents with buggies, walking to the pharmacy, and anyone queuing for a coffee or outside a local shop.

“There is a narrow window of opportunity to ‘Change Our Streets’ while motorised traffic is at a lifetime low. We have high hopes for the ambition and action of Galway City.”

Molly Byrne, Professor of Psychology at NUI Galway, and member of the COVID-19 National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) Behavioural Change Subgroup said that people’s environments need to enable them to change their behaviours to adhere to social distancing in the months ahead.

“Urban design is critical to this,” she said. “Choices that the City Council makes can encourage these new behaviours we need to adapt in order to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Reallocating road space to people walking and cycling and reducing speed limits during the coronavirus pandemic are quick and cheap ways that Galway city can help keep people in good physical and mental health.”

Restaurants, cafés, and bars have already called for more car-free areas, and JP McMahon of Aniar Restaurant and Tartare Café and Wine Bar called for more space on the streets.

“Restaurants, cafés and bars need more street space so people can ‘eat-on-the street’ and enjoy outdoor dining this summer while social distancing.

“Making more space to help restaurants and cafes to survive is paramount if we are to get through this pandemic together,” said JP McMahon.

Commenting on reduced road congestion, Dr Brian McNicholl, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Galway University Hospital (GUH), said that GUH has seen asignificant drop in car crash attendances at the Emergency Department as there are less cars on the road.

“Cycling reduces the risk of interpersonal transmission of COVID-19 in cars and public transport. In the long term it reduces risk of heart attack, cancer and stroke.”

Racing cyclist Paralympian, World Champion medallist, and civil engineer Eoghan Clifford added that ‘Change Our Streets’ will have significant benefits for people with disabilities, mobility issues, and older people.

“Poor transport and urban planning limits people with disabilities significantly. While still fit and able to walk with aids, I make decisions on moving around the city based on trying to avoid poor or narrow footpaths which can cause – have caused – me to fall or lose balance.

“I know of someone who needs to use an electric wheelchair and is frequently pushed onto the roads by cars parked on footpaths.”

Martina Callanan, spokesperson for Galway Cycling Campaign added: “We have a unique opportunity to pilot new street arrangements, widen footpaths, and install temporary cycle lanes.

“These can be quick and cheap to do by using cones and planters. About 5,000 people use public transport in Galway.

“With the capacity less than 25% due to social distancing requirements, nearly 4,000 people will need an alternative way to move about the city.

“With almost 600,000 people on COVID-19 unemployment benefit, the humble bicycle offers an affordable transport option to many who may never have considered it since childhood.

“Together, we can trial low-cost car-free ideas that have worked elsewhere and ‘Change Our Streets’ in the city centre and residential areas for the duration of the pandemic.”

COVID Compliance Officers needed to ensure businesses follow protocols, says ACOI

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May 6, 2020

galway daily social distancing covid compliance officer

As the country begins to de-escalate COVID-19 related restrictions, social distancing and other protocols will be on the minds of managers and business owners in every industry.

The Association of Compliance Officers Ireland believes ‘COVID Compliance Officers’ may need to become commonplace, if only temporarily, to ensure businesses meet any rules and guidelines issued by the government.

The government outlined its plan to ease the restrictions last week, with each phase in the plan seeing different businesses being allowed to reopen.

Michael Kavanagh, CEO of the ACOI, said that instead of looking at the landscape beyond the COVID-19 crisis, we have to prepare for how to live with the virus.

“While there have been rumblings that we may be edging closer to opening the country up for business again, it is widely accepted that rather than preparing for ‘life after COVID’, we will have to set ourselves up for ‘life amidst COVID’ – until such time as a treatment is found,” said Michael Kavanagh.

“This means businesses will have to adapt and change according to what the relevant authorities advise.

“Organisations will have to adhere to strict rules to ensure we hold our ground in the fight against the spread of the disease.

“In order to do this, employees and management will need to know exactly what they have to do. Invariably, one person, or even a team of people, depending on the size of the organisation, should be tasked with ensuring compliance in this regard.”

The ACOI is advising the dedicated COVID Compliance Officer could be an existing compliance officer, or another senior employee or member of management within the company.

“By appointing someone to the role of COVID compliance regulator, the HSE and Gardai will have a go-to person to interact with and support in terms of putting the necessary processes and procedures in place,” Mr Kavanagh continued.

“There appears to be a growing consensus that people will return to work on a phased basis based on national COVID-19 management targets being met, with those working outdoors possibly being the first to return.”

Mr Kavanagh said that in each workplace, someone will have to assess how employees and customers can adhere to new rules.

“This will need to happen, preferably, before businesses reopen and employees return to work. Our members have already had to act swiftly to ensure that new business models and organisational structures protect people and comply with the rules and regulations already in place. This is particularly true in the areas of data protection and financial crime.”

CO2 emissions from energy use down 4% last year

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May 6, 2020

Data released today by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) shows that CO₂ emissions from all energy use fell 3.9% in 2019.

The reduction of 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide marks the largest annual decrease in CO₂ emissions since 2011.

Emissions in 2019 were 22% below 2005 levels, but were higher than 2014.

The reduction was due mostly to less coal being used to generate electricity – which fell by 70% compared to the previous year.

The Provisional Energy Balance 2019 figures comprises analysis of Ireland’s energy supply for last year. The main findings show that overall energy use fell by 1.2% while the economy grew by 5.5%.

Coal use in electricity generation fell by 70% in 2019 with the Moneypoint electricity generating station operating at reduced capacity.

The reduction in electricity generated by coal was partly made up by a 9% increase in wind generated electricity, which supplied almost one third of all electricity. The remainder of the shortfall came mostly from increased net imports of electricity.

These changes have resulted in the CO₂ intensity of electricity falling by 12% to a new low of 331 gCO₂/kWh in 2019. The renewable share of gross final consumption of electricity in 2019 increased to 36.6% (33.3% in 2018). Wind contributed 31.5% points of this.

Energy from all renewable sources grew by 6.5% in 2019 and accounted for 11% of all energy used.

Natural gas use grew by 2% and oil use increased by 0.6% and accounted for 50% of all energy use.

Import dependency (the share of energy imported, as opposed to sourced in Ireland) increased to 69%, up from 67% in 2018.

Galway City opticians keeping an eye on the community despite the lockdown

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news 1,500 children waiting for eye care assessment at Tuam Primary Care Centre

The Galway City opticians Colette Kelly Optometry are still keeping an eye on the community’s eye health despite the lockdown, finding new ways to work with their patients.

Although closed for routine examinations, the independent opticians at Buttermilk Lane are still supporting customers through a new tele-health service.

People who are experiencing eye problems, or who have concerns about their eye health, can have telephone consultations with an optometrist at the practice.

And in the event that a face-to-face appointment is required, all staff have the necessary PPE to provide a safe environment for your visit.

Fiona O’Dell, Optometrist at Colette Kelly Optometry, said: “Our patients and their eye health are at the heart of everything we do.

“We want to ensure your vision is still properly cared for during these uncertain times, so we’ve created our tele-health service to help achieve this.”

“We hope by extending our services beyond our normal capacity will allow our patients to follow government guidelines of staying at home, whilst retaining peace of mind in their eye health.”

To make things easier for customers who wish to avoid unnecessary journeys, the regular delivery service for contact lenses is still running, as is the glasses repair service.

Any patient who sends in their glasses to be fixed can expect them to be delivered back to their home as soon as possible.

And in order to help out their colleagues in the health service on the frontline of the Covid-19 health crisis, Colette Kelly opticians are donating 10% of all purchases to the HSE to assist them in delivering vital care.

“Our thoughts & prayers are with those affected by Covid-19, and those working courageously through it. Stay home and stay safe,” Fiona O’Dell said.

Galway pharma company signs deal to advance new cancer therapy

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news No Monkeypox cases reported in Galway to date

The Galway based pharma company ONK Therapeutics could advance cancer treatments with a new deal which will help bring their novel therapy to the market.

ONK Therapeutics and Maynooth based biotech company Avectas has signed a collaborative deal for Avectas to licence ONK’s Natural Killer cell therapy for cancer treatment.

ONK Therapeutics is Barna based company creating novel cancer therapies by enhancing the body’s own natural defences against tumours.

Founded in 2015, ONK’s research focuses on Natural Killer cells, part of our body’s immune system that target and attack cancer cells with toxic granules.

ONK is developing novel, off the shelf, NK cell-based therapies for cancer, as well as working to genetically modify NK cells to create a platform which can be tailored for multiple cancers.

Professor Michael O’Dwyer, CSO of ONK Therapeutics, said this deal will allow them to accelerate getting their therapy to clinics by taking advantage of Avectas’ expertise in non-viral gene engineering.

Avectas’ cell engineering platform Solupore will be used to engineer the therapy the two are collaborating on.

“While early clinical data with CAR NK cells appear promising, resistance is still an issue,” Prof O’Dwyer added about the current state of development.

“Incorporation of our unique proprietary DR5 TRAIL variant into CAR-NK cells provides a powerful, complementary killing mechanism to overcome resistance, which may have applicability in a broad range of cancers.”

TRAIL is a type of protein from NK cells which contribute to killing off tumours by binding to and triggering ‘death receptors’ on the surface of cancer cells.

Michael Maguire, CEO of Avectas, commented: “We are excited to collaborate with ONK and its expert team to develop this potentially breakthrough immuno-oncology therapy”.

“Solupore was developed to address the urgent need for non-viral cell engineering solutions to support advanced therapies and so this collaboration is a natural next step for our business.”

Under this deal ONK will be responsible for bringing the therapy to Phase 1 clinical trials, and will receive upfront fees, and royalties.

Avectas will ultimately retain the worldwide commercialisation rights to the therapy, and have also acquired a minority stake in ONK.

Condition Red warning for extreme forest fire risk

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May 6, 2020

Galway Daily news Minister warns of risks from illegal land burning

The Department of Agriculture has issued a Condition Red warning for an extreme forest fire risk in Ireland this week.

The forest fire warning sue to a ‘Type A’ pressure system high pressure system over eastern Scotland which is inducing easterly airflows over Ireland.

Fine Fuel Moisture Code levels are currently above 85 and wind speeds are likely to exceed
the critical 30kmh threshold in most areas over the next 48 hours.

This type of high pressure system causes the air to shed moisture and become extremely dry, in turn rapidly drying out vegetation.

“This type of pattern has previously been associated with extreme fire behaviour under Irish conditions,” the department has warned.

The highest risk period where the Red notice will be in force is until Thursday, May 7.

The west of Ireland is at particular risk due to a very high projected range of Initial Spread Index values here.

This indicates a strong potential for rapid fire spread and difficulty suppressing it in typical upland fuels.

In upland areas fire can then spread across extensive areas, and may give rise to a Major Emergency scenario.

The issue of Condition Red Extreme fire risk warnings is a comparatively rare event and
implies that recipients should take immediate action to protect resources and property.

Galway County Council has already instructed landowners to cease all controlled burning until further notice due to a recent spell of dry conditions.

But the highest risk comes from people deliberately igniting fires in areas where illegal turf cutting or waste dumping is taking place the department said.

People who intend to visit forests and other recreational sites are being reminded to not stray further than 5km from their homes in line with Covid-19 restrictions.

Vehicles should not be parked at site entrances or impede emergency service access to forest roads.

Galway records hottest daily temperatures in Ireland

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May 6, 2020

Defying all normal expectations of the wet and windy west coast, Galway recorded the hottest temperatures of anywhere in Ireland yesterday,

Met Eireann’s weather stations at Athenry and Belmullet, Co. Mayo measured the hottest temperatures in the country on Tuesday at 17.2 degrees.

Amazingly, the west of Ireland dominated the upper end of the temperature map yesterday, with Mayo and Galway also taking third and fourth place at Newport and Mace Head stations.

See below a list of maximum temperatures recorded at our weather stations across Ireland today. The highest temperature was recorded at Athenry, Co. Galway & Belmullet, Co. Mayo today with 17.2°C. ☀️🌈😎 pic.twitter.com/buCnp1ksek

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 5, 2020

Today’s weather is also looking positive according to Met Eireann, with a mix of sunny spells and some lightly cloudy skies forecast for most of the day.

Temperatures will also stay summery, reaching highs of 17 to 18 degrees with a moderate southwest breeze.

Things will turn cloudier tonight with outbreaks of rain which are expected to become heavier on Thursday, with the odd rumble of thunder added to the mix.

Galway nurse describes experience in COVID unit at US hospital

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May 5, 2020