Galway student wins Smedia award for Irish radio journalism

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April 16, 2019

Galway Daily life & style Kevin Higgins leading poetry workshops at Galway arts centre

Aspiring poets who want to try putting pen to paper themselves will be able to avail of range of poetry workshops at Galway Arts Centre this May.

Well known local poet Kevin Higgins will be running three sets of poetry workshops out of Galway Arts Centre in May.

Kevin has published five collections of poetry with Salmon, most recently Song of Songs 2.0: New & Selected Poems (2017).

His first collection The Boy With No Face was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish poet.

Kevin’s work has been translated for international audiences in Greek, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, German, Serbian, Russian, & Portuguese.

On top of his writing Kevin has been teaching poetry in Galway for many years and organises the Over the Edge literary festival.

At these classes participants will receive a poetry writing exercise each week followed by constructive criticism on hos to hone their skills and voice.

Each set of workshops will last for eight weeks starting from the week of Monday, May 13, with one taking place on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30pm, another on Thursday afternoons from 2-4pm, and the third group on Friday afternoons from 2-3:30pm.

The Thursday afternoon classes are an advanced poetry workshops, suitable for people who have been writing for some time.

The programme of classes cost €90, with an €80 concession rate and must be paid in advance.

To reserve a place contact reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, phone 091 565886, email info@galwayartscentre.ie, or go to https://www.galwayartscentre.ie/courses.

Hospital support staff voting on strike action

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April 16, 2019

Galway Daily news SIPTU members going on strike at LISK plant in Gort

Hospital support staff in Galway and around Ireland could take to the picket lines as union members vote on a strike action.

SIPTU is balloting up to 17,000 of its members working in medical and non medical roles in Irish hospitals next Monday, April 22 about going on strike.

The SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell said that “tensions have been heightened” with the HSE recently over a decision to introduce an overtime ban and a three month hiring embargo.

Originally the union had planned to ballot roughly 7,000 members who are Health Care Assistants, Laboratory Aides and Theatre Operatives on striking.

But the decision was made to expand that to include staff working in support roles at hospitals including catering, household, portering, patient transport and security services.

The strike action could affect 36 hospitals nationwide, including University Hospital Galway, Portiuncula Hospital and Merlin Park Hospital.

The union has been at loggerheads with the government over the outcome of a jobs evaluation programme agreed on as part of the 2015 Landsdowne road public service agreement.

They say that the outcome of the job evaluation scheme shows that a number of support grade staff at hospitals are underpaid, but that the government has been dragging its feet on implementing a pay increase.

Paul Bell said that there is a feeling among the SIPTU Health Support Sector Committee that the evaluation scheme is “compromised”, and that this has left the public service agreement “severely undermined”.

The results of the ballot will be announce on May 16.

Oranmore Lidl expansion approved

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April 16, 2019

Galway Daily news Green light for new Lidl supermarket in Moycullen

Lidl has been granted planning approval for an expansion in Oranmore that could create new jobs.

Lidl Ireland applied for planning permission for an expansion of its store at Carraig Láir Shopping Centre in Oranmore.

The expansion will add 313m² to the premises, including expanding on the retail space in store by 68m².

Lidl have said that the expanded store could be able to support up to five extra staff.

Work on the project will involve expanding the lidl store into two adjoining retail units which are currently vacant, as well as reconfiguration of the internal mall area.

The expansion is required “to enable the provision of an appropriate modern service to customers and provide sufficient floorspace to cater for existing demand”.

It is also claimed that it would contribute to the “vitality and viability” of Carraig Láir Shopping Centre by enhancing the facilities of its anchor tenant.

No submission were made to the county council concerning this development.

Galway county council granted planning approval with three conditions attached.

Bringing the story of Galway’s Una Taaffe to life on stage

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April 16, 2019

Galway Daily life & style cathc the life story of Galway's Una Taaffe on stage

Update: Tickets for showings of Are You There Una? in Galway city have sold out

Una Taaffe is a larger than life figure in Galway history, inspiring many tales throughout her many years in the family named shop that many people in can still recall so clearly.

One troupe of theatre makers in Galway are attempting to reclaim and restore the portrait of Una Taaffe with their new stage show Are You There Una?.

Elaine Meyers collected stories, interviews, personal memorabilia and fragments of memories of Una, as a means of peeling back the layers of myth-making and finding the real person beneath.

Una’s life speaks to wider concerns of finding a sense of identity and belonging, how we read isolation, eccentricity and mental illness, and how we demystify these.

A multi-media show with acting accompanied by other historical materials, the show incorporates live music performance from Anna Mullarkey and video design by Jennifer Cunningham, along with the voice of Una herself.

The show premieres next month at the Mick Lally Theatre from May 3 – 6, and then on May 25 at Áras Éanna on Inis Oírr.

Tickets for the first two nights have already sold out, and what are left can be picked up through Galway Theatre Festival at www.tht.ie/May.

Reserve your tickets for Áras Éanna by emailing eolas@aras-eanna.ie.

For more stories and photos of Una Taaffe follow “Stories of Una” on Facebook and Twitter.

Prestigious chemistry award for Galway student’s research into viral infections

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April 15, 2019

Galway Daily news Galway student wins prestigious chemistry award for viral infection research

Adele Gabba, PhD student at NUIG, has been awarded the inaugural Institute of Chemistry Postgraduate Award for her research into viral infections.

Originally from Italy, Adele is an Irish Research Council funded PhD scholar at the School of Chemistry at NUIG in the final year of her study.

She has been researching the synthesis and evaluation of ligands for the protein CLEC10A.

This protein is found in the surface of cells in the body’s immune system and plays a role in the spread of certain viral infections such as the Ebola virus.

The Institute of Chemistry of Ireland gave Adele this award for her outstanding contribution to research, also acknowledging all she has done to promote science at NUIG outside of the lab.

Adele has been very active in Kitchen Chemistry, which contributes to public events such as the Galway Science and Technology Festival, and has also taken part in FameLab and Soapbox Science.

Professor John Cassidy, President of the ICI, praised her for the excellence of her research and the mentorship that she provides younger students.

Aside from NUIG Adele’s work has taken her to ISAS in Germany to the laboratory of Ulrika Westerlind, supported by an EMBO travel award, and to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (affiliated with the Harvard Medical School in Boston) to the laboratory of Gabriel Birrane.

Derek O’Leary Head of Chemistry at NUI Galway said that “It’s great to see Adele’s work being recognised”.

“She has truly embraced all that a PhD can offer in terms of her own research excellence, exposure to other research areas, training as a science communicator and inspiring the next generation of STEM students.”

“Once she finishes in NUI Galway we look forward to seeing bright career ahead for her.”

Galway doctor delivers TED talk on the digital future of medicine

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April 15, 2019

Technology could soon enable a great deal of routine medical work to be done in the comfort of our homes according to a TED Talk from a Galway doctor.

Professor Derek O’Keefe Consultant Endocrinologist at Galway University Hospitals and Professor of Medical Device Technology at NUIG recently delivered a TED Talk on ‘Digital Doctors: the future of medicine’.

Having formerly worked with NASA on monitoring astronaut health aboard the International Space Station and working as a flight surgeon on their NEEMO mission, Prof O’Keefe has a strong interest in new paradigms of healthcare delivery.

His talk followed those interests, looking at how advances in technology are allowing more medical procedures and check-ups than ever to be done in our own homes.

He suggests that in the not-so-distant future this has the potential to change healthcare, and our lives.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organised by a local community.

To view the full talk go to Digital Doctors: The Future of Medicine on Youtube.

Dealing With A Rogue Landlord

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Desmond Fitzgerald

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April 15, 2019

Landlord and Tenant are two words which have deep historical roots in Ireland. Often followed by a dreaded word: “eviction”.

Back to Famine times, the relationship between landlord and tenant was unfriendly. The landlords were the rich, the Ascendancy, the oppressors, the tenants were always the victims, the Irish, the peasants, the poor people.

All that was supposed to change at Independence. In fact the old landlord class were replaced by new landlords in towns and cities all over the country. Buying a second house and renting it out was seen as a smart investment. All through the 20th century the tenants remained playing second fiddle. Very little security of tenure, usually one year, renewable at the landlord’s discretion. Disputes were settled, often quite slowly, through the District Courts. Sometimes disputes were settled illegally e.g changing the locks, and occasionally by physical intimidation.

However, that has changed radically in the 21st century. The RTB (Registered Tenancies Board) came into being in 2004 and immediately became the one stop shop for everything to do with renting a house or apartment. Starting and ending a tenancy, controlling rent increases, dealing with every dispute, basically taking away most powers of the Courts to deal with residential tenancy issues, the RTB rules the whole system.

The tenant is slow in paying? Take them to the RTB. The landlord has changed the locks? Take them to the RTB.

The RTB report for 2018 says:

In 2017 there were 339,447 tenancies registered with the RTB. A total of over 714,000 tenants. 174,001 landlords .70 % of all landlords had one property only, 86 % of landlords had one or two. There were 5,823 disputes, which is 1.72% of all tenancies

This means, in the vast majority of cases, landlords and tenants do not have a serious dispute. However, it has often been said that the tenant considers the property to be “their home”, the landlord considers it “their business”

RTB and Security of Tenure

The letting agreement (or lease) between landlord and tenant governs most aspects of their relationship.

But it is critical to realise that the RTB gives rights to tenants which overrides any written lease. A lease which is stipulated to run for one year only, for example, isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. Once a tenant has complied with the terms of the lease and has occupied the property for a minimum of 6 months, then they have an automatic right to retain their occupancy of the property for a further 5 ½ years, assuming they comply with the terms of the agreement. The landlord cannot advise the tenant that, after 13 months, their lease has expired and that they have to go.

However, the RTB has allowed some exceptions to this increased security of tenure.
The two main exceptions to this (there are 6 altogether) are where: 1 the landlord is selling their property or 2 they are carrying out substantial renovations. These genuine exceptions have been used as loopholes to remove tenants by a minority of landlords and new legislation is tightening up the rules here.

The Rogue Landlord

A rogue landlord is one who deliberately avoids registering the tenancy with the RTB. The reason for doing this is not to avoid the RTB charges, which even in cases of late or delayed registration are not cripplingly high. The main motivation is to avoid having to pay income tax on the rental income. A good landlord will grumble that his or her rental income is paid at the top rate of tax but will pay it. A rogue landlord will evade paying tax at all on the rental. This means finding tenants and treating them well enough to keep the illegal tenancy going on in secret. A rogue landlord who does not treat his tenants well, however, is taking a huge gamble.

If a tenant discovers that their landlord has not registered the tenancy, and if that landlord has treated them badly, by, for example, trying to subdivide an already crowded house into another bedroom, or refusing to repair kitchen equipment. They will want to defend their rights. Because the tenancy is not registered with the RTB, there is no proper way to resolve an issue with the landlord, the only way a tenant can deal with them is to tell the landlord that they either register properly with the RTB, or the tenant will contact the RTB.

An illegal landlord cannot defend against this tactic. Neither can they say that the tenant has colluded with the illegal situation, the legislation does not penalize unregistered tenants.

A truly rogue landlord is more likely to resort to illegal tactics to resolve a dispute. Because they are not registered, they have no access to the RTB dispute resolution system. Neither can they use a solicitor as they are “outside” lawyers and the courts.

Threshold have very useful guidance for tenants worried about illegal eviction: https://www.threshold.ie/advice/ending-a-tenancy/illegal-eviction/

For a true case history: https://www.thejournal.ie/landlord-fined-prtb-not-registering-tenants-1763664-Nov2014/

Emergency personnel praised as Tuam Fire Station officially opens

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April 15, 2019

Tributes have been paid to the courage and dedication of emergency personnel in the region as Tuam Fire Station officially opens.

The Station, which became operational in September 2018, officially opened today.

Minister Ciaran Cannon said: “This kind of modern facility brings great peace of mind to a local community and the Government investment in this facility has been part of a €40m national investment programme to provide for the construction and refurbishment for fire stations across the country.

“It is also indicative of the commitment to supporting communities and ensuring their safety in rural regions.

“I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and courage of the personnel based at Tuam Fire Station and all our emergency personnel across the region.

Minister Cannon added: “These are the people who ensure that our loved ones and communities remain safe and occasions like the official opening of Tuam Fire Station remind us of that tremendous effort on our behalf.”

Galway Simon launches Journey Home campaign on 40th anniversary

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April 15, 2019

Galway Simon Community is marking its 40 year anniversary by launching their Journey Home campaign.

The charity is calling on people in their local community to take action against homelessness now, through campaigning or fundraising, to help someone on their Journey Home.

The homeless charity was established in 1979 by a group of NUIG students who refused to accept homelessness on the streets.

Since then, with the help of its staff, volunteers and supporters, the charity has grown to become one of leading providers of homeless services and homelessness prevention services in the region.

The housing and homelessness crisis in Galway is now worse than at any time in the forty years since Galway Simon Community was founded.

Hundreds of people in the West of Ireland are experiencing the trauma of homelessness on a daily basis; men, women, families, young people and children who have had to put their lives on hold while they face every day without a home to call their own.

Galway native Jacqui O’Dowd, one of the organisation’s original volunteers in 1979, is lending her voice to the campaign and is asking others to take action with her.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s 40 years ago now since Galway Simon Community was set up. Back then, myself and the other Simon volunteers, we’d hop the gate at the back of the old Claddagh Palace in Salthill. It was pitch black but it was our only way of reaching the men who were sleeping rough in the shed”, she said.

“Around that time, we were only helping a small number of people, but today 40 years on, I just can’t believe there are hundreds of people in my community who are facing homelessness. We need to take urgent action now, to make sure we don’t see another 40 years of this crisis”, Jacqui added.

One of the pillars of Galway Simon’s Journey Home campaign is to ask people to advocate to their local election candidates to ensure homelessness and housing is a central part of their campaign manifesto. To help people to stand in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness, the charity has created a campaigning booklet: ‘The Journey Home: Galway’s homelessness and housing crisis, and what you can do about it’. This factual guide, explains the current crisis and empowers the community with the information they need to challenge local candidates who are canvassing door-to-door.

Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community explained the urgency around the campaign.

“As we mark forty years since Galway Simon Community was founded, I would love to be able to announce that the situation in relation to housing and homelessness in Galway has improved considerably and we are now winding down our services. But sadly, here in the spring of 2019, that goal appears to be nowhere in sight.”, Karen explained.

“I dearly hope we are not still here forty years from now. I want our country to have moved on from this dark chapter, and I look forward to the day that homeless prevention services are no longer necessary. Until that day, however, we urgently need the support of our local community, through campaigning and fundraising, to help people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, on their journey back to independent living”, she added.

Galway student selected to join prestigious leadership programme

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April 15, 2019

Barna native Mairéad Fallon has been selected to join this year’s class of the prestigious Washington Ireland Program (WIP).

Mairéad, a student of Education and Psychology at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and former student of Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill, was one of 31 students selected from 16 different universities and institutions across the island of Ireland.

For more than two decades, WIP has brought together emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds for a transformative programme of public service and leadership development.

WIP supports students to develop their full potential through two core principles – leadership and service.

Each student will undertake prestigious work placement at some of the most illustrious and influential levels of professional life in Washington DC and New York, including congressional offices, international corporations, law firms and media organisations.

Students are hosted by American host families who generously open their homes and allow participants to experience an authentic slice of American life.

The class will also have the opportunity to learn from each other and from leaders at the highest levels of American political, business and cultural life.

WIP participants complete a challenging leadership curriculum designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge required to meaningfully contribute to society.

The skills it cultivates —respect, dedication, perseverance, confidence, teamwork, critical thinking, among many others —benefit participants well beyond their time on the programme.

Bryan Patten, Executive Director of the Washington Ireland Program said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Mairéad to this year’s Washington Ireland Program class.

“WIP seeks students who demonstrate leadership potential and have a substantial track record of service.

“Mairéad exceeds these requirements and I’m sure she will take full advantage of the busy programme of training and development WIP provides.”

When Mairéad has successfully completed the programme, she will join WIP’s distinguished alumni.

This diverse, all island network share a commitment to shaping the future of Ireland.

More than 600 alumni, including An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD, have graduated from the programme and are now excelling in roles across the political, business, legal, entrepreneurial, advocacy and cultural sectors on the island.

Status yellow weather warning in place for Galway

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April 15, 2019

Galway daily weather Met Eireann weather warning in force for Galway today

A weather warning for wind has been issued for Galway and much of the Atlantic coast today.

The status yellow weather warning predicts winds of 50-65km/hr throughout today, with gusts reaching 90-110km/hr, stronger in coastal areas.

The warning has been issued for Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Cork, and Kerry and will remain in place until 7pm this evening.

A separate status orange rainfall warning is in place for Cork and Waterford until 6pm this evening.

In total Met Eireann has issued four weather warnings covering Ireland today. A status yellow rainfall warning is covering Kilkenny, Wexford, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary.

While another status yellow wind warning is in place for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

Galway scientist awarded Teagasc Gold Medal for cattle breeding work

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April 15, 2019

Galway Daily news Galway scientist awarded Teagasc Gold Medal for cattle breeding work

Galway based Tegasc researcher Prof Michael Diskin has won the Teagasc Gold Medal for his work on cattle breeding.

Prof Diskin has been in charge of the Teagasc Mellows campus in Athenry for the past 14 years where he is also Head of the Animal & Bioscience Redevelopment Department.

The Teagasc Gold Medal is awarded on an annual basis to a member of staff who has made an exceptional contribution to the organisation and to the agriculture and food sectors.

A native of Corr na Móna, Michael is an internationally known scientist for his work as a reproductive physiologist, particularly working with beef cattle.

He has been published over 130 times and in 2008 he was appointed adjunct Professor in the School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine in UCD.

Accepting the Gold Medal award, Michael said; “Teagasc is a team-based organisation and I am fortunate and privileged to have worked with many teams of excellent people during my career.

“I am delighted to accept this award and I receive it on behalf of all of my current and past Teagasc colleagues in Athenry and in other Teagasc centres that I had the privilege to work with.

“I want to thank all the farm, technical, research, advisory, specialist and administrative staff,” he concluded.

Michael started work in An Foras Taluntais with Joe Sreenan on animal reproduction.

On top of his research with cattle, he has worked to improve the Teagasc sheep programme and has played a leading role in the sheep BETTER farm programme.

Recently, he has been involved in the establishment of the BIA Innovator Campus CLG at Athenry, which to-date has secured almost €6 million in government funding.

Teagasc Chairman Liam Herlihy said that Michael Disking has had an “outstanding career” both as a scientist and as a manager in Athenry these past 14 years.

He added that Michael “has displayed huge dedication to the agriculture industry”, and “we thank him for all he has contributed to the advancement of animal reproductive physiology and the Irish farming industry”.

The Teagasc Authority and the Chairman also recognised the contributions of Anthony O’Connor, Teagasc Agricultural Advisor and Tom Burke, Principal of Mountbellew Agricultural College

Delays expected at Briarhill tomorrow due to broken traffic lights

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April 14, 2019

Galway daily news Traffic lights at UHG out of action until next week

Motorists travelling in the area of Briarhill tomorrow should expect delays as traffic lights at the junction are still out.

The traffic lights at the Briarhill Junction have been out since overnight on Friday when they were damaged in a road traffic accident.

Repair crews have been working on getting them fixed, and that work is ongoing.

A traffic management plan will be in place at the junction tomorrow, Galway city council have said.

Priority will be given to M6 and N6 inbound traffic to keep delays to a minimum. Motorists should follow the directions of the gardaí who will be on duty.

That said people are advised to expect delays and give extra time for journeys until the lights are repaired.

Galway man honoured for lifesaving work with Community First Responders

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April 14, 2019

Galway Daily news Galway man honoured for work with Community First Responders

Galway man Gearóid Ó Cinnéide was honoured with the Geoff King Award for the lifesaving work he has done at the national Community First Responders Conference over the weekend.

Gearóid is the coordinator of the Athenry community first responders and is a member of the Craughwell, LCDPM, and Gort groups.

Community First Responders work with the National Ambulance Service to get local people trained to respond to heart attacks, stroke, chest pain, or choking.

The goal, Gearóid said, is to strengthen the “chain of survival” by getting someone properly trained to the patient as soon as possible, to begin treatment before the ambulance arrives until the paramedics can take over.

Another big thing he would encourage people to know is their Eircode, as it makes it far easier for first responders and ambulances to find homes.

Of receiving the award Gearóid said “I cannot describe the shock I experienced”

He added that he was not expecting to be chosen of more than 550 people in the room all who give up their time and energy to help others.

“We as Community First Responders make personal sacrifices and volunteer our time to attend training, respond to emergency calls and educate our local community with regard to CPR, defibrillation and the identification and management of stroke and heart attacks prior to the arrival of the ambulance,” Gearóid said.

The Geoff King award was launched at Respond 2015 in memory of Dr Geoff King, and is given to any group or individual who has “gone the extra mile, gone outside of their comfort zones, put in a special effort or innovated to ‘strengthen the chain of survival'”.

Gearóid was awarded the Geoff King Prize at the 2019 Respond Conference organised by Community First Responders Ireland, an unbrella organisation for CFR groups.

There are currently 19 active CFR groups in Galway Gearóid said, and another five are in training and about to go live.

CFRs work closely with the National Ambulance Service, and are automatically notified when a 999 comes in for one of those four key area.

Gearóid there is incredible cooperation between paramedics and first responders, with the former happy to provide feedback to make their training even better in the future.

Many CFRs go on to join the National Ambulance Service, he added.

Recently, they have been putting effort into coordinating all of these groups with the Galway Community First Responder Group Network.

Through this network, people in Galway who are interested in working as a first responder can be pointed to any nearby groups they can join, or get assistance to help set up a group in their own community.

photo: Gearóid Ó Cinnéide (right) with the Geoff King award

Deadline nears for youth groups to avail of grant for European Youth Week events

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April 14, 2019

Youth groups in County Galway are being offered up to €300 to host an event as part of European Youth Week taking place from 29 April – 5 May.

The grants are being offered by Léargas, Ireland’s agency for international collaboration and exchange programmes, and the deadline for applications is tomorrow, 15 April.

The theme of the week is ‘Democracy and Me’ and events should explore the ways young people can influence decisions and be active in society.

Events in Galway will be part of a programme of over 1,000 grassroots activities taking place across Europe during Youth Week.

Commenting on the week, Carmel Walsh, Senior Client Services Officer with Léargas said: “With the local and European elections taking place at the end of May, it’s a perfect time to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process and make their voices heard.

“Under the theme ‘Democracy and me’ youth groups can hold events like mock elections, debates on issues of importance to young people, or invite election candidates to visit their group.”

To apply, youth organisations must be already involved in Erasmus+ or European Solidarity Corps.

Groups can apply online at www.leargas.ie. All successful groups will receive resources to help them host the event including a European Youth Week Pack.

Cllr Mairéad Farrell sets out her stall ahead of Local Elections

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Paul Kelly

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April 14, 2019

Galway Daily news Mairéad Farrell local elections

Councillor Mairéad Farrell spoke to Galway Daily about her campaign ahead of the upcoming local elections.

The Sinn Féin representative was elected to Galway City Council’s east ward in 2014 at the young age of 24. She will once again run in the Galway City East ward.

She has a BA in economics and history in NUIG along with a masters in finance.

Furthermore, she has been selected to contest the next general election for Sinn Féin in the Galway West/South Mayo constituency.

The sitting Councillor promised to continue to be a firm voice for the left in the council chamber.

Cllr Farrell vowed to put the issue of housing at the top of her list of priorities.

Housing

The Sinn Féin Councillor branded the housing crisis in Galway as catastrophic while pointing to the fact that there are over 4000 people on Galway City Council’s housing waiting list. She slammed this as being completely unacceptable.

Cllr Farrell declared that she will push for an emergency rent freeze for three years along with tax relief for renters.

She expressed her dismay at the heartbreaking situation where families are forced into temporary accommodation as a result of homelessness.

The Mervue based Councillor highlighted the limitations of the current plan for over 1,000 homes to be built in Galway by 2021.

This plan is comprised of Galway County Council providing for the construction of over 1,089 homes while the City Council have aimed to construct 926 homes by 2021.

Cllr Farrell stressed that these objectives are inadequate to alleviate the on going crisis and that the target should be in the range of 3,000 new homes.

The Councillor went on to castigate the government as being completely out of touch with what’s needed to effectively and efficiently solve this housing crisis.

Property Tax

The Mervue based representative evidenced the numerous motions she has both, brought forward and supported in the Council Chamber to reduce the property tax by 15%.

Cllr Farrell pledged to continue to fight for the property tax to be slashed over the next five years if re-elected.

Water Charges

The Sinn Féin representative referred to her staunch opposition to water charges over the last five years.

She expressed her intention to vigorously oppose and help frustrate any attempt to reintroduce water charges by the government down the line.

Anti-Social Behavior

Cllr Farrell intends to push for a greater Garda presence in the community.

She expressed the vital importance of pushing for more community Gardaí working with community groups on the ground in local areas.

This will inevitably result in enhanced communication between the Gardaí and members of the community which will only serve to be beneficial to everyone in the long run.

Local Enviornment

The City Councillor promised to continue to be a voice for environmental groups in Galway City. She made reference to her ongoing support for the funding for Merlin Woods over the last five years while describing it as being a ‘fantastic facility’.

In terms of waste collection, Mairéad Farrell stated she would be campaigning to return waste collection to the control of local authorities and for an end to ‘side by side’ waste collection.

Cllr Farrell reaffirmed Sinn Féin’s policy position on the carbon tax and pledged to oppose increased carbon taxes while pushing for real measures to reduce carbon emissions.

City Planning

The Sinn Féin Councillor is an advocate for a new approach to planning in Galway City.

She spoke of the necessity to have decent facilities for estates and residential areas while stressing the need for green spaces.

Cllr Farrell noted that these provisions were essential in preventing areas from becoming ‘concrete jungles’.

Galway Daily asked Mairéad Farrell who she would advise people to transfer to? She replied by emphasizing the importance of voters transferring to other candidates on the left. It’s her hope that the influence of the left grows and thrives in Galway City Council.

Cllr Farrell signed off the interview expressing her wish that young people turn out and vote in these local elections. She claimed that young people became interested in politics like never before over the referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment and it’s crucial to build on this.

She remarked that young people will only truly be heard when they turn out and vote.

Shortage of social workers behind backlog of 6,500 child protection cases says Rabbitte

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April 14, 2019

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

A shortage of social workers is leaving a dangerous backlog of child protection cases according to Galway TD Anne Rabbitte.

The East Galway TD said that figures show that nearly 6,500 child protection cases are waiting to be assigned a case worker.

“It is alarming to read that there are well over six thousand children in the State awaiting a social worker for child protection cases,” she said.

“I understand Tusla will assign an on-duty social work team member until an appointed social worker is in place.”

Of those 6,432 child protection cases waiting for a social worker, more than 1,000 are classified as a high priority.

Anne Rabbitte said that greater consistency in care is needed for children “in these dreadful situations, through no fault of their own”, adding that the government must expedite efforts to hire more social workers.

“It is very disappointing that a ‘High Level Social Work Education Stakeholders Group’ met to work on this process for the first time on January 16th and by the end of March little has been done to change the situation.”

She concluded by saying that more Dáil debate will do little to help children in homes in Galwya and around Ireland who need someone to help them through a difficult time in their lives.

Approval granted for expansion of Connemara Hotel

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April 14, 2019

Galway daily news Ballynahinch Castle Hotel expansion approved

Planning approval has been granted for an expansion of Ballynahinch Castle Hotel.

The Connemara Hotel submitted plans to demolish a two story staff accommodation block built in the 90s’ and replace it with a new guest wing.

The new guest wing will be a two storey luxury block to the west of the main building, connected by a new link corridor.

The Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht noted in a submission that the hotel is located close to the Connemara Bog Special Area of Conservation and the Owenmore river.

The Department asked Galway county council to ensure that the development would not pose and risk to protected habitats there before granting permission.

Last October the council made a request for further information from the developer, saying that the original Natura Impact Statement included in the application wasn’t comprehensive enough in outlining mitigation measures to protect the SAC.

The developer submitted an updated NIS that included more information on measures that will be taken to manage any waste or runoff during the construction and operation of this extension.

A waste management plan was also submitted to the county council.

Ballynahinch Castle Hotel was orginally a country house built overlooking the Owenmore built in the late 18th century.

The manor house was greatly enlarged in the 1870, and the current top floor was added on to the building in the early 20th century.

A protected structure, much of the main building retains features from its 19th c origins.

It has passed through many and varied hands since being built, and began operating as a hotel in the late 1940s.

The new guest wing will take the place of a staff accommodation building which was constructed in 1998 as part of a major expansion of the hotel.

The new guest wing is designed to have minimal impact on the original protected structure.

Galway county council granted planning permission with nine conditions attached.

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April 13, 2019