Govt must provide increased supports as hardship fund deadline brought forward – TD

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April 24, 2020

galway daily news Galway lotto players claim €21 million in high-tier prizes since 2020

The Trading Online Voucher Scheme has been massively expanded to offer even more businesses vouchers of up to €2,500 to support digital enterprise.

The scheme helps small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets through vouchers worth up to €2,500.

The scheme operates through the Local Enterprise Office, and requires 10% in co-funding from businesses availing of it.

Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation Heather Humphreys an additional €3.3 million in funding for the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as part of a new package of supports for SMEs earlier this month.

This brings the total amount of money being provided by the Department for the scheme to €5.9 million.

More flexibility has also been added to the rules of the scheme, allowing businesses to apply for a second voucher of up to €2,500 where they have successfully utilised their first one.

Subscriptions to low-cost online retailing platform solutions to quickly establish a retailing presence online are also being incorporated into the scheme.

“This package is a significant step-up in the supports available for all businesses in all sectors at this very difficult time,” Minister Humphreys said.

“The measures have been developed to meet the varying needs of Irish enterprise and they are very specifically targeted by size, sector and need.”

In order to apply for the Trading Online Voucher, businesses must complete a mandatory information session.

This will cover topics such as developing a website, digital marketing, social media for business and search engine optimisation.

The information provided is impartial and will help you decide on what trading online options, are right for your business.

Galway Local Enterprise Office is holding its mandatory training session on May 13 at 9:30am.

The session will last for approximately two hours, and places can be registered here.

Galway Pride 2020 summer festival cancelled

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April 24, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway Pride 2020 summer festival cancelled

The 2020 Galway Pride Festival which was to take place this August has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the festival organisers hoping to put something on at a later date.

The 2020 Galway Pride Festival was due to run from August 10 to 16 of this year, but like other large events which were to go ahead this summer, the ongoing ban on mass gatherings has made that impossible.

In a statement released today, Galway Community Pride said that they have made the “hard decision” to postpone the festival in light of the government’s announcement, and HSE guidelines.

The cornerstone of the annual pride week is the parade through Galway City on the second last day of the festival.

Last year saw the celebration of the festival’s 30th anniversary, with nearly 2,000 people marching through the city in the parade, and thousands more lining the streets to watch it pass.

Chairperson Aoibhin Keighron said they were looking forward to Pride 2020, “but the health and safety of the community is our number one priority right now,” she added, thanking supporters for their understanding.

“Please keep a lookout on our social media pages for updates on the future of pride as we work with the necessary people to work on setting a new date”.

Aoibhin finished by thanking the frontline staff who have been taking care of the country during this pandemic, and adding “we look forward to when we can all meet again and come together to celebrate Pride again in Galway.”

Galway City Councillor Owen Hanley said that it’s disappointing that 2020 won’t see the pride parade that “the community deserves”, but that hopefully there will be better news soon.

So disappointed that we won't be able to put on the Galway Pride Parade 2020 that we were planning and that the community deserves. Hopefully we'll have some better news soon 🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/tWnxJaC9cW

— Cllr. Owen Hanley (@OwenHanleyLives) April 24, 2020

The full statement from Chairperson Aoibhin Keighron on behalf of the committee can be read below.

Galway hurler raising vital funds for two worthy causes

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April 24, 2020

Galway hurler Joe Canning has launched a fundraising campaign which has so far raised almost €10,000 for two great causes.

The GAA star is raising vital funds for both Unicef Ireland and #DoItForDan and has put together five prizes to give away to doners.

His original goal was to raise €5,000, but almost twice that amount has been raised in just three days – and donations are still flooding in.

Do it for Dan is a fundraising campaign for a boy who was diagnosed with a rare genetic neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 and Scoliosis.

The life expectancy of an SMA Type 1 child is 18 to 24 months.

On 7 January this year, Dan began a new medication called Spinraza which is the only available treatment in Ireland.

It doesn’t cure SMA Type 1, but it can delay or reduce the symptoms.

However, there is a ground-breaking treatment called Zolgensma, currently only available in USA and costs 2.1 million dollars for a once off infusion.

Studies show that Zolgensma can substantially improve quality of life and survival of this horrific disease.

Over 1.6 million euro has been raised for Dan on its official fundraising page from 75,000 donations.

Donations for Joe Canning’s fundraiser can be made HERE.

Do it for Dan’s GoFundMe page can be found HERE.

Student Accommodation providers must offer refunds TD insists

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April 24, 2020

Galway Daily news State more focused on defending litigation then protecting children Naughten says

Student accommodation providers must provide refunds to people who had to leave college due to the Covid-19 pandemic a Galway TD has said.

Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten has said he’s received reports of several private student accommodation providers in Galway who will not refund rent to people who have been forced to leave due to Covid-19.

The Independent TD acknowledged that there are a number of reasons why a landlord might refuse to give a refund.

But Naughten added that the nature of many student houses and apartments, which can often be shared by up to seven people, makes it impossible to comply with social distancing guidelines.

“It is also the case that many of these accommodation providers received public support through tax incentives, sites or other supports from the State and they should now support students by refunding rents.”

Some providers have argued that students were free to remain in their accommodation, but Deputy Naughten asked why anyone would isolate themselves with six other people rather than going home when colleges have been shut down.

Universities have taken different approaches around the country to handling their on campus accommodation.

Campus accommodation at NUIG has remained open, and the campus accommodation at Corrib Village and Goldcrest Village are offering refunds to students who have vacated their apartments to return home.

President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh also made an appeal to private landlords to show “care and compassion” towards students in this time after receiving reports of some students being served with evictions notices in March, while others who decided to leave were struggling to get their deposits back.

The University of Limerick said in a letter to Deputy Naughten that some 600 students remain at its campus accommodation despite the physical closure of the college.

However Trinity College Dublin attracted controversy when it asked students to vacate their campus housing with little notice after Covid-19 cases were first identified at the university in the early stages of the pandemic in Ireland.

Major public support for Athenry – Sligo greenway in online petition

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April 24, 2020

galway daily petition sligo athenry greenway

An online petition calling for the closed railway route from Athenry to Sligo to be used as a greenway has now hit 25,000 signatures.

There have been calls for Galway and Mayo County Councils to harness the energy behind this major support for the greenway and work together to make the project happen.

The number of signatures on the petition has been described as ‘a real landmark’ by a spokesperson for the Western Rail Trail Campaign, Brendan Quinn.

“Twenty-five thousand people is a massive display of public opinion,” he said, pointing out that the majority of those who signed the petition are based in Galway, Mayo and Sligo.

“There is overwhelming support for the greenway in Sligo, Mayo and Galway, with active community support groups in each county along the route.

“We are asking all members of the negotiating teams for the new Government to take note of the level of public support that exists for this project, and to include it in the programme for Government.

“In the post COVID-19 economic conditions there will be a need for civic projects which are economically feasible, which will have immediate social and economic benefits, and which have a short pay-back time. The Western Rail Trail meets all these criteria.”

Minister Ciaran Cannon said that it’s time for Galway and Mayo County Councils to work together to make this happen.

The East Galway TD also expressed his concern that the review into the financial and economic viability of extending the Western Rail Corridor, presented to Irish Rail last October, has ‘yet to see the light of day’.

“We remain in the dark over the future of this hugely valuable piece of publicly owned infrastructure during a period when we need to see clear economic pathways forward for both East Galway and the West,” he said.

Brendan Quinn also called for the release of the independent report.

He said that the Department of Transport received over 200 Freedom of Information requests asking for the report, and about 20 TDs submitted Parliamentary Questions asking for the report in Q4 of 2019.

Quinn said that Transport Minister Shane Ross, who lost his seat in the recent election, has steadfastly refused to release the report.

“It is astonishing how someone who is no longer a TD can decide that the public cannot be allowed to see a report which cost half a million Euro in Taxpayer funding.

“The numbers signing this petition show that there is public disquiet about the suppression of this report.”

Students urged to apply for SUSI grants for 2020/21

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April 24, 2020

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

Students are being urged not to forget the year ahead and to apply for SUSI grants for the coming the 2020-2021 academic year.

Online applications for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grants for higher education opened on Thursday, and Galway East TD Seán Canney says that anyone who feels they might qualify fir a grant should apply.

“It is important that people remember that although we are living in exceptional circumstances with the COVID-19 virus, that normal processes continue”.

To check whether students qualify or to find out more information, people can visit the SUSI website at www.susi.ie.

The website also includes an eligibility reckoner to help applicants assess their qualification for funding and a guide on how to apply.

In a FAQ page on its website SUSI reassures applicants that Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will not affect student grants in academic year.

Grant applications for the 2020/21 academic year will be based on an applicants income in 2019.

But, if an applicant has experienced a change in circumstances in this current crisis which is not temporary, and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, they may apply their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision.

The service is expecting a high number of applications this year Sean Canney said, so people who intend to apply for a grant should do so as soon as possible.

Galway GAA legends ‘on call’ for people cocooning

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April 24, 2020

galway daily news Galway GAA legends 'on call' for people cocooning

One thing this pandemic has brought to the forefront has been a strong community spirit of looking out for other people, especially those who are cocooning for their own protection.

Beyond just making sure their physical needs are met, one concern about people cocooning at home is making sure their social needs are met.

Galway’s GAA clubs are already doing extraordinary things in the community while they’re off the pitch, and now some of the county’s biggest hurling and football legends are volunteering to spend time over the phone with people who are self-isolating.

Oranmore native and former Executive Editor of GAA with RTE Sport Paul Byrnes together with the recently appointed ‘Community Champion’ for Galway City Brendan Mulry came up with this initiative.

For the duration of the lockdown period a number of Galway hurling and football legends including 3-time All Ireland winning manager Cyril Farrell, All-Ireland winning captain Ray Silke, 2-time All-Ireland winning manager John O’Mahony and Joe Connolly who captained Galway to All-Ireland success in 1980 have all very kindly made themselves available to talk to cocooning GAA fans over the next few weeks.

“We are very lucky to have the likes of Cyril, John, Ray and Joe on board who have given us so many magical and memorable moments in the maroon and white,” said Paul Byrnes.

Brendan Mulry added “While there aren’t any hard and fast rules, the focus is really on those fans who maybe need this most.”

“Think of a parent or grandparent who is at home isolating who would love to chat all things GAA with a legend of the game.”

Pat Kearney, Chairperson of Galway GAA said that this is a great idea for these unprecedented times.

“Galway great, Iggy Clarke who chairs our Health and Wellbeing Committee has done a huge amount of work in recent weeks taking calls from all over the county and is available if anybody want to get in touch with him.”

“We are all hugely missing the GAA and look forward to the day when we can play our competitions again and the likes of Tuam, Kenny Park and Pearse Stadium are open to our players and supporters to enjoy”.

Each Local authority areas across Ireland has had a Community Champion appointed in recent weeks as part of an initiative by Irish Rural Link and The Wheel, a national association of community and voluntary groups, charities, and social enterprises..

The aim of the programme is to make sure that those cocooning and people with additional needs have access to the highest quality information and support.

If you need help, want to help, or are already helping please contact your Community Champion, Brendan Mulry for Galway City on 087 2194243, brendan@equalireland.ie or Steve Dolan for Galway County on 087 4068766 or sdolan@grd.ie.

Decision to close Merlin Park allotments criticised

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April 24, 2020

Galway Daily news City Council invites applications to lease allotments

The decision to close the allotments at Merlin Park Woods as part of the Covid-19 pandemic response has drawn sharp criticism.

People Before Profit Galway said that the city council should not have closed the allotments as social distancing is easily adhered to on each 50sqm allotment.

PBP Galway activist Conor Dowd said that these allotments provide “urban dwellers” with a space to directly engage in food production.

He added that this has multiple benefits, including saving trips to the supermarket, and its “therapeutic” value to person tending the allotment.

“Individuals seeking an alternative to food produced by agribusiness should be encouraged, not cut off from their small parcel of land.”

The decision not to recognise people’s activities on allotments as food production “speaks volumes” about the attitudes of those in power Conor said, accusing the council and Fine Gael of only recognising processes that are part of the “capitalist market economy”.

He added that while the decision to close allotments around Ireland may ultimately have come from the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, there is a grey area for interpretation of that directive at different levels of the decision making process.

PBP says that the city council should take a “common sense” interpretation of food production as an activity to allow allotment holders to continue work.

Coronavirus: 28 more deaths and 936 new cases confirmed

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April 23, 2020

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

Twenty-eight more people have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the National Public Health Emergency Team has confirmed.

There were also 936 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of 1pm today.

There is now a total of 17,607 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the State and there have been 794 COVID-19 related deaths.

Galway has 315 cases, as of midnight on Tuesday – an increase of six cases on the previous day.

The county continues to have 1.9% of the confirmed cases in the country.

Speaking this evening, Dr Tony Holohan said: “COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. Modelling data shows us that the reproduction number remains below 1.0 and that we have achieved great progress through the action of staying apart.

“In order to continue protecting ourselves, our vulnerable groups and our healthcare workers, we must continue to practice physical distancing, respiratory etiquette and regular hand washing. These basic steps, if done by all, will save many lives.”

Research conducted on behalf of the Department of Health shows that for the first time since the tracking began, only 19% of people expect restrictions to end in May.

One in four expect the restrictions to end in August or September.

Cases as on Tuesday 21st April

56% are female and 43% are male
the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years
2,424 cases (15%) have been hospitalised
of those hospitalised, 331 cases have been admitted to ICU
4,545 cases are associated with healthcare workers
Dublin has the highest number of cases at 8,216 (50% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,087 cases (7%)
of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 52%, close contact accounts for 44%, travel abroad accounts for 4%

Wage Subsidy Scheme ‘discriminates’ against women returning from maternity leave – TD

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April 23, 2020

galway daily pregnant woman wage support scheme

The new wage support scheme has been described as ‘discriminatory’ by a Galway TD after it emerged that ‘those returning from maternity leave cannot sign up’.

Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte’s comments come as childcare providers contacted her office with questions about the Revenue’s Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and how it applies to women returning from maternity leave.

Deputy Rabbitte said that a number of childcare providers have had staff return from maternity leave and that it now seems these women cannot be included in the scheme which ‘seems like a sexist stance to take’.

“Even though the women were still employees, they returned to work outside Revenue’s applicable dates for the scheme so weren’t on the payroll in January or February, which is a requirement.

“This is an issue that applies to all sectors and it’s discrimination, pure and simple. Indeed, such draconian legislation may even be in breach of the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 – 2004,” she said.

The Fianna Fail TD added that Revenue hasn’t been clear about how to handle these cases and that it’s having ‘serious, real-life consequences’.

“I know of situations where women have been told they’ll have to apply for social welfare instead, which goes against the government’s ask that employers maintain a link with their employees.

“I’ve been directed to section 4.6 of Revenue’s latest FAQ, which states that if employees didn’t receive a wage in January or February, the employer can ‘operate the scheme based on Average Revenue Net Weekly Pay’, although nobody has explained what this actually means and how it applies to these women.

“We need clear and simple guidance on this, which also ensures that women are not being treated unfairly,” said Deputy Rabbitte.

Galway Arts Festival waiting for more guidance before deciding its future this year

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April 23, 2020

Galway International Arts Festival is waiting for further guidance from the government before deciding whether this year’s festival will be going ahead as planned.

The 2020 Galway International Arts Festival is currently scheduled to run from July 13 –

The government announced on Tuesday that while it hopes to begin lifting some of the restrictions imposed for the coronavirus pandemic, restrictions on mass gatherings will be in place throughout the summer.

Local authorities are being instructed by the government that events requiring a licence for more than 5,000 people will not be considered before the end of August.

Every year Galway International Arts Festival brings over a quarter of a million people to Galway over the course of two weeks.

Events big and small take place in venues around the city, with some of the largest crowds seen at concerts in the Heineken Big Top.

A statement from the festival’s organisers said that they will be waiting for more specific guidance on mass gatherings from the National Public Health Emergency Team before making a decision on this year’s festival.

“While the government’s statement regarding licensed events of mass gatherings in excess of 5,000 people does impact the Festival, we await further guidance on restrictions on mass gatherings from NPHET.”

“The government has indicated that further updates will be made in this regard before May 5th and we will await further clarification on crowd restrictions before we make a decision on whether this year’s Galway International Arts Festival goes ahead as planned”.

Some of the major events planned for this year’s festival include The Pixies, Sinéad O’Connor, Kaiser Chiefs, and the Flaming Lips playing at the Big Top.

Two NUIG researchers to represent Ireland at Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

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April 23, 2020

nuig researchers nobel laureate galway daily

Two researchers from NUI Galway have been selected to represent Ireland at the 70^th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Dr Joseph Byrne and Dr Adele Gabba from the University’s School of Chemistry will attend the prestigious meeting of Nobel Laureates and emerging scientists from around the world.

They will join a group of 660 outstanding early-career scientists from 101 countries and meet with 68 Nobel Prize winners in the fields of chemistry, medicine and physiology, and physics.

The researchers were among six scientists nominated by the Irish Research Council (IRC), before going through a rigorous international selection process, through which only half of nominees were ultimately invited to attend.

They will receive a grant from the Irish Research Council to enable them to attend the meeting, which takes place from 27 June to 2 July next year on the island of Lindau in Germany.

The meeting was scheduled for this summer, but due to the outbreak of COVID-19, it has been postponed until 2021.

Dr Adele Gabba recently graduated with a PhD in Chemistry and currently works as a research assistant in the group of Professor Paul Murphy, School of Chemistry at NUI Galway.

She will begin a prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship in MIT in the coming months.

She said that being selected to attend a Nobel Laureate Meeting is a dream come true.

“I have been certainly looking forward with immense excitement for June, so I have to confess the news of the postponement for COVID-19 came along with a bit of disappointment.

“Despite my childlike eagerness, I think the organising committee took the right decision.

“I am sure all attendees will see that waiting and, most of all, the reason behind it, as an opportunity to reflect deeply on the importance of bringing together researchers with a different background in an interdisciplinary meeting.

“Problems that impact our society are mostly extremely complex, we will succeed in solving them only if we put our brains and best efforts together,” she said.

Dr Joseph Byrne is an Honorary Research Lecturer in the School of Chemistry, who is in the first year of a Science Foundation Ireland Starting Investigator Research Grant project, developing luminescent glycoconjugate materials for detection of bacterial infections.

Dr Byrne said: “This meeting is unique in putting the most ground-breaking scientists of recent decades and early-career researchers around the same tables for a week.

“With little-to-no distraction from the outside world, it is ideal for transferring ideas and sharing challenges between generations and countries as well as different disciplines.

“I am looking forward to building new relationships with other chemists, but also biochemists, physicists, medical scientists, who I could collaborate with to tackle challenging scientific questions of international relevance in the future.”

Man charged for knocking down and dragging Garda with car

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April 23, 2020

Galway Daily news Missing 17 year old teenager found safe and well

Gardaí in Galway have charged a man for knocking down an officer with his car and dragging the Garda down the street during a routine traffic stop.

The dragging incident took place on November 27, 2019, when Gardaí were attempting to do a traffic stop on Mill Street in Galway shortly before 4:30am.

The driver of the car drive from the scene, knocking one of the Gardaí to the ground.

The Garda was then dragged for approximately 280m before the car came to a halt following a collision.

The Garda was taken to University Hospital Galway for treatment and the driver, a man in his early 20s, was arrested.

Following directions received from the Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday, April 22, 2020 the man was rearrested and charged in connection with this incident.

Gardaí have charged him with endangerment and road traffic offences.

He is due to appear before the District Court in Galway on May 11, 2020.

Worrying rise in illegal dumping during COVID-19 crisis

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April 23, 2020

There has been a worrying rise in illegal dumping since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, a Galway TD has said.

Minister Ciaran Cannon said this causes many environmental problems and health risks, and it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure waste is disposed of properly.

The East Galway TD said that €1 million will be provided in funding to local authorities to combat the illegal dumping and he encouraged Galway County Council to apply before the closing date on 4 May.

An Anti-Dumping Initiative has been set up by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to work with Galway County Council and community organisations to carry out clean-up operations in Galway and develop appropriate enforcement responses.

Waste removal and the installation of CCTV or other monitoring and surveillance equipment will be among the activities supported with funds from the Anti-Dumping initiative.

Since the introduction of the Anti-Dumping Initiative in 2017, funding of €6.3 million has been provided which has supported over 700 projects across all 31 local authorities and removed 10,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste.

Business Forum needed to support Covid-19 recovery city councillor says

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April 23, 2020

Galway Daily business Business Forum needed to support Covid-19 recovery councillor says

Calls have been made for the city council to establish a Business Forum with stakeholders to address challenges facing industries in the Covid-19 crisis.

City Councillor Clodagh Higgins was reacting to the high profile closure of Debenhams and Laura Ashley in recent days, and warned that more crucial businesses in the city could fold if they are not supported through the Covid-19 crisis and into the recovery phase.

Debenhams closure alone is expected to cost roughly 140 jobs in Galway City with the announcement that all of its Irish stores are not expected to reopen after the current crisis has passed.

“When you see anchor tenants and retailers who have been around for decades closing up shop in the early stage of Covid-19 that just begs the question how many other family-run
businesses will slip away unnoticed,” Councillor Higgins said.

The Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation has announced multiple capital support schemes for businesses in the Covid-19 pandemic, including microfinance loans of up to €50,000 for small enterprises which are interest and repayment free for the first six months.

But struggling businesses need a “hands on approach” at the local level if they are going to survive Councillor Higgins added, warning of far reaching consequences for the city if this is not done.

“Not only will the economy and jobs be impacted but we can kiss good-bye to a vibrant city centre populated with diverse independent and international stores.

This retail mix is part of what attracts people to the city centre and gives it its “unique vibe” she added.

“Therefore, a reduced retail footprint will impact the social amenity value of the city centre and will affect our sense of community, which might never be recovered”.

The Fine Gael Councillor added that the city council needs to be developing a roadmap for recovery in the aftermath of this crisis, or else some businesses will never reopen.

In order to help kickstart this process she said the council needs to establish a business forum with stakeholders from across industry sectors, including retail, hospitality,
tourism, media, and transport.

This forum should also include representatives from state agencies such the Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Employment Affairs.

But this forum needs “teeth” to drive initiatives for Galway’s recovery Higgins added, to ensure Galway is not left lagging behind when the recovery starts.

Moycullen nursing home seeks more time to build new Day Centre

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April 23, 2020

Galway daily news Knocknacarra social housing

More time is being sought to complete an extension to a Moycullen nursing home, and to build a Day Centre for it.

Planning permission was granted in 2015 for an extension to Uilinn Nursing Home at Kilrainey, Moycullen.

The developer is now seeking a five year Extension of Duration to that planning permission.

The intended works consists of a 37.5sqm extension to the existing facility, and the construction of a new 215sqm Day Care Centre.

Work has yet to commence on the project due to financial constraints according to the planning application.

The developer now proposes to commence work by July 2020, with a view towards completing construction by march 2021.

The County Council is currently due to give a decision on the extension of duration application by May 19.

City council says stop cutting the grass in public areas

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April 23, 2020

Galway Daily news City council issues new rules for gardening in public areas

In a sure sign that people are starting to go a bit stir crazy in lockdown, some are apparently cutting the grass in publicly managed areas of Galway City, and the council is asking them to stop.

In a post on the city council’s facebook page on Wednesday it was noted that some people have started cutting grass and trimming bushes in public areas.

They are then apparently gathering it in black bags for council workers to collect, but “These will not be collected” a council spokesperson said, adding that while they know “people’s intentions are meant well” they should really stay at home except for specific circumstances as per public health guidelines.

“Bagging up grass cuttings on public lands may encourage illegal dumping by others adding to the pile and is potentially a health hazard.”

“There are many benefits in terms of biodiversity in leaving the grass to grow and in particular the dandelions on the verges and the bulb planting exercise that we carried out last year are now in full bloom and looking fantastic.”

“As soon as the restrictions are lifted Galway City Council is ready and waiting to get out to cut the grass.”

Government’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes criticised by Galway TD

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April 22, 2020

A Galway West TD has said that the Department of Health made a ‘monumental and fatal error’ when it took ten days to approve visitor restrictions in nursing homes introduced by Nursing Homes Ireland.

Mairéad Farrell TD was speaking after the resignation of a doctor in Dublin from his role as a member of the Irish Medical Council.

Dr Marcus de Brun, a GP in Rush, Co Dublin resigned earlier this week, saying that the Department of Health has failed to adequately address the COVID-19 crisis in nursing homes and other residential care settings.

Deputy Farrell said: “It is incomprehensible that the state was not better prepared for this nursing homes crisis given the fact that residents of such homes were far more likely to contract the virus and, having caught it, suffered far more seriously as a result.

“It has been noted previously that Nursing Homes Ireland introduced visitor restrictions for nursing homes on the 4th March, but were criticised by the Department of Health for moving too fast in this regard.

“It took a further ten days for the Department of Health to give their approval for such measures, and, in my view, this decision has proved to be a monumental and fatal error for many of our most vulnerable citizens.

“I believe it is important that there is an acknowledgement that this decision was the wrong one, and I think the Minister and the Department need to acknowledge this.”

Deputy Farrell added that Prof. Ruairí Brugha of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland made the point that we knew COVID-19 disproportionately affects elderly people and we should have had a specific strategy to deal with this.

“That means intensive testing, physical isolation at as early a point as possible, separate reporting of test results, increased staff redeployment and improving PPE access.

“The Minister needs to deal with several pressing questions as well as making it an immediate priority to do all we can to ensure those in residential care settings are protected and cared for,” added the Sinn Fein TD.

Coronavirus: 44 more deaths reported as Galway cases rise again

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April 22, 2020