Schools from across Galway will compete in The Business and Professional  Women’s Club ( BPW) Galway’s Annual Schools Public Speaking Competition this week.

It will take place from 5pm on Thursday 8 November in The Ardilaun Hotel.

Participating schools from across the Province include: Colaiste Einde, Salthill, Presentation College, Tuam, Davitt College Castlebar, Claregalway College, Claregalway, Mercy College, Woodford, Salerno Secondary School, Salthill Convent of Mercy, Roscommon and Merlin College, Galway.

The Judging Panel includes; Bernadette Prendergast, Head of News at Galway Bay FM,  Aoife Duignan of Galway Roscommon Training and Education Board and Aoife McNena, Head of HR at Intuity.

BPW Galway President Valerie Murphy said “The Annual Public Speaking Competition is an important part of our commitment to share, educate and give a voice to women, whilst also providing the opportunity for female secondary students to debate and develop their public speaking skills outside of the classroom.”

The event is open to the public, free to attend and as always is an inspiring evening with students engaging in lively and entertaining public speaking in pursuit of the title of Regional Winner.

For more information log onto www.bpwgalway.ie

An East Galway TD has added his voice to many who have expressed their wish to see public water fountain installed in Galway.

Minister Ciaran Cannon welcomed Dublin City Council’s decision to find locations for water fountains and called for a similar plan across Galway County.

Minister Cannon said: “I`m very pleased to see the initiative being undertaken by Dublin City Council to identify pilot locations for public water refill stations in areas where there are large numbers of pedestrians.

“I understand that a similar initiative is being examined by South Dublin County Council and that Fingal County Council has also recently installed a public water fountain at Howth.

“Last week saw the European Parliament vote for a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics across the EU and an initiative such as this one rings in harmony with that move.

“I think that an initiative like this would make a big difference in our own county and would be of tremendous benefit to workers looking to replenish bottles of water, visitors and, of course, the environment.

Minister Cannon added: ‘We are the second most visited county for people from overseas and the third most visited for domestic holidaymakers.

“Anything that can be done to offer a greater service for those visitors and affords our environment greater protection should be fully explored and I would hope that Galway County Council would explore this initiative with Irish Water and look at providing new connections for such water refill stations throughout the county.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Galway was the second most overcrowded hospital in the state for the month of October.

INMO has laid the blame of overcrowding on the understaffing of nurses. INMO claim this is casued by insufficient pay for nurses and midwives.

As a result, INMO is requesting a 12% pay increase across the board for Union members. If this request isn’t granted INMO may decide strike action.

But what do our politicians and local representatives think about the recent overcrowding figures and a possible nurses strike.

Eugene Murphy – Fianna Fáil 

Eugene Murphy lambasted last month’s figures as ‘disgraceful irrespective of who’s in power’.

The Roscommon-Galway TD stated a proportion of the problem can be attributed to there being no bed capacity in UHG and that someone needs to be brave enough to address this by increasing capacity.

The TD alluded to Portinculla Hospital in Ballinasloe having a similar problem.

Although approval for a new 50 bed unit for the Ballinasloe hospital has been given the green light, the TD is still waiting on the government to approve of it.

Murphy explained to Galway Daily how another big factor generating the overcrowding crisis in UHG was the Fine Gael/Labour Government’s decision to close the A&E in Roscommon.

The TD claimed that there was up to 10,000 people going to Roscommon A&E every year and that it’s closure was ‘outrageous’ considering € 18 million had been invested in the A&E.

To add to this, Eugene expressed his dismay that the A&E was closed without a HIQUA Inspection.

Eugene Murphy said that although he might not support a 12% pay increase across the board there is still a need to increase the pay of nurses.

This is due to them having ‘suffered dramatically’ from the fallout of the recession. The TD declared how the state took in nearly € 51 billion in tax last year and could surely use a proportion of this to incentivise nurses to stay here and not emigrate.

The TD feels INMO would only strike as a last resort.

The Fianna Fáil TD maintained that health was a difficult issue for any government while also outlining his belief that ‘we can’t provide the bare minimum in relation to health’.

The TD commented how if Fianna Fáil is to return to power there needs to be a complete change in health policy formulation.

Niall O’Tuathail – Social Democrats

Speaking to Galway Daily, O’Tuathail asserted how the hospital crisis was only going to get worse unless there is urgent investment in primary care.

The Social Democrats activist described this as meaning more GP’s, community nurses and other staff like physios and diagnostic staff.

O’Tuathail called for a model where teams are set up specifically for frail elderly people to keep them healthy in homes for longer and avoiding unnecessary trips to A&E. O’Tuathail claimed this model is used in the NHS where he does a lot of work on reform, and if applied in Ireland, could ‘make a real dent in the trolley crisis’.

The Galway City based activist is alarmed of the ‘terrible conditions’ healthcare staff are working in and went on to say how morale is at an all time low.

O’Tuathail expressed his solidarity to nurses explaining how they had every right to be ‘fed up’ with how the system is working.

O’Tuathail criticized the government for not investing in ‘Sláintecare’ which he says was the ‘first cross-party plan for the health system’ initially proposed by Róisin Shortall of the Social Democrats. O’Thuathail firmly believes Proper investment in this facility would go a ‘long way’ in giving staff more hope that the service will not be in crisis forever.

Joe Loughnane – People Before Profit

Joe Loughnane expressed his sympathy for nurses who he believes are dealing with a ‘creaking’ health system while working longer hours for less pay.

The City based People Before Profit representative advocated his unwavering support for a future nurses strike as ‘their demands have been consistently ignored by a government that promotes outsourcing’.

Loughnane, who has been selected as the Galway West People Before Profit candidate for the next general election, proclaimed a need for a health service which is free at the point of use and available to everyone.

Loughnane reaffirmed his belief that health care is a right and access to it should be determined by ‘how sick one is not the size of one’s wallet’.

The City based activist spoke of the necessity to develop ‘our capacity for preventative medicine’ which he says in the long run will pay for itself.

Loughnane addressed the problem of bed capacity by offering his solution to move 21,000 beds nationally to increase capacity using compulsory purchase orders on private facilities required as part of increasing the number of public beds.

Loughnane emphasized his disgust at hospitals being overcrowded with nurses who are overworked.

To take the burden off hospitals the future General Election candidate recommended the creation of a network of community primary care centres alongside free GP care.

Noel Grealish – Independent

Noel Grealish described the Emergency Department at UHG as being no longer fit for purpose.

Grealish called on the government to establish a minor injuries unit at Merlin Park Hospital, which could treat things like broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns.

The independent TD outlined his assumption that a minor injuries unit would be a very simple solution to the ongoing problem of so many people being forced to spend nights on trolleys.

The Galway West TD talked about how he has been consistently proposing a minor injuries unit ‘time after time’ in the Dáil for a number of years.

Grealish said he raised the idea during Leaders Questions and the Taoiseach agreed that there was a very strong case for such a unit in Galway and promised to discuss it with the Minister for Health and the HSE.

The TD went on to say how UHG caters for well over 60,000 patients a year but three out of every four of those end up being treated and discharged without the need to be admitted to hospital.

He then used this figure to demonstrate how effective a minor injuries unit could be in directing people away from the Emergency Department, easing pressure on beds and staff, who ‘are under severe strain every day of the week’.

Grealish is of the opinion that a minor injuries unit could be up and running in Merlin Park within a ‘matter of months’. He says this would play a valuable role in speeding up treatment times.

Noel Grealish expressed his disappointment that it takes more than five and a half hours on average from the time a patient with a minor injury is first seen until they are discharged from the Emergency Department at University Hospital Galway.

Grealish compares this scenario with Roscommon where people are being ‘seen, treated and discharged from the minor injuries unit in less than an hour’.

He then complained that there are eleven minor injuries units dotted around the country and Galway is the only city without one. ‘Dublin, Limerick and Cork cities all have them, and there’s even another two in Cork County’.

Back in March the Taoiseach told Grealish in the Dáil that there was merit in the suggestion that minor injuries unit’s are effective seeing as how they work in Dublin, Limerick and Cork.

Grealish declared that we need action from the Government now.

Galway City Council has been urged to provide free drinking water fountains in parts of Galway.

The Green Party’s candidate for Galway West Pauline O’Reilly says that several Dublin councils are planning to install public water fountains in order to cut down on single use plastics.

She believes that in Galway, water fountains like these would help to stop people buying single use, disposable plastic water bottles, which all too often end up in our rivers and oceans.

“Any parent who has ever had to buy water or juice drinks for a family on a day out knows this doesn’t come cheap. The European Commission estimates providing water fountains would save households across Europe €600 million per year.

“As well as reducing plastic waste and saving money for local households, this would provide a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.

“Our council can help by getting on board this initiative. I strongly urge Galway City Council to provide free drinking water fountains in central parts of Galway,” she said.

NUI Galway Students Union has launched its SHAG Week (Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance) events which will include free confidential rapid HIV testing with AIDS West.

The Rapid HIV Test is remarkable as it gives a HIV result in less than a minute – it is the world’s fastest HIV test.

No appointment is necessary and all are welcome to attend the clinic 2pm – 5pm on Wednesday 7 November in The Space, Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI Galway.

Other events during the week include disclosure training with Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Sex Toy Bingo which is nothing like the bingo your Granny might attend! The free, on campus, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Clinic will have extended hours during SHAG Week.

The Students’ Union will also distribute free condoms to all students.

Students’ Union President Megan Reilly said: “We hope that our SHAG week events will encourage our students to take a responsible attitude to sexual health and to be comfortable talking about it.

“It is vital that such issues are not viewed as embarrassing and that all sexually active students are able to get tested regularly.”

The numbers of new diagnoses of HIV in Ireland have increased by 35% since 2011.

Early diagnosis is also key, as HIV is often transmitted by people who are unaware that they are HIV Positive.

The World Health Organisation estimates that 30% of people living with HIV do not know their status.

Students’ Union Vice-President/Welfare and Equality Officer Clare Austick said: “We are delighted to be working with AIDS West to bring this free and confidential service to campus. I would encourage people to get tested if they have concerns over their HIV Status.

“We want to educate our students about safe, consensual sex and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections through initiatives such as SHAG (Sexual Health Awareness & Guidance) Week.”

Contact AIDS West on 091 566 266 or email info@aidswest.ie to find out more or to book an appointment if you prefer.