Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Galway Senator says a lack of resources is making it difficult for Gardaí in Connemara to police the region.
It follows a joyriding incident in the Lettermore/Lettermullen area at the weekend.
Senator O’Clochartaigh says he’s written to the Garda authorities to ask them to help tackle the issue of joyriding in Connemara.
Senator Ó Clochartaigh says that only a small number of individuals are responsible, but the number of incidents are becoming more frequent.
He says Gardaí in Connemara need to be properly resourced so they can effectively deal with the problem.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Galway senator is proposing a tax for shopping centres that set up outside of main towns and cities.
Labour senator, Lorraine Higgins has written to the Minister for Finance asking him to consider such a tax in the next Budget.
She says the revenue generated could be used to regenerate towns which are suffering economically.
Senator Higgins says towns across the county have been hit over the past few years.

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A commemoration ceremony for the Irish men and women who died in past wars or while on service with the UN will take place in the city next month.
The National Day of Commemoration event is being hosted by Galway City Council.
The event takes place on Sunday week July 12th at 11am at the Quad at NUI Galway.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Greek government has cancelled a visit to Galway this week by one of its representatives.
A representative of the country’s reform department was due to attend the ‘Future of European Journalism’ conference at NUI Galway on Thursday.
The ‘Future of European Journalism’ event aims to explore the use of statistical data banks and the internet in creating the stories of the future.
The two-day conference, which gets underway on Thursday ay the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at NUI Galway, is part of the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Thousands of Galway families could be thrown a lifeline if they were offered a tax break for childcare.
Galway West TD Noel Grealish says families on the edge need to be given some form of relief when the government outlines next year’s budget.
He says figures from the last Census showed that there were just under 21 thousand families in Galway city and county with children under the age of 10.
More than 13,700 of these families had children under 5.
Deputy Grealish says struggling families need more support.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A leading homeless charity is criticising the Tánaiste for failing to act on its warnings about the impact of rent supplement limits on areas including Galway city.
The Simon Communities says Joan Burton’s decision not to increase the limits in line with rising rents is forcing people onto the streets.
It says that just 12 per cent of homes available to rent across 10 regions, including Galway city, are open to people in receipt of the supplement.
Niamh Randall is the group’s National Spokesperson.
She says the Tánaiste must change her position immediately.

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An eclectic mix of specialist botany talks, plant stalls and whacky entertainment will return for the sixth annual Galway Garden Festival at the stunning Claregalway Castle.

Climate change, food safety, sustainable gardening and sustainable living, as well as creating beautiful gardens, are the themes of this year’s event, taking place this weekend.

As usual this festival is designed to entertain young and old and ignite interest in the keenest gardeners as well as those without the slightest green thumb.

The castle’s owner, Eamonn O’Donoghue, looks after the entertainment aspect of the Festival while his Cork-based sister Pádraigín is responsible for the things botanical. Last year an estimated 3,500 people attended on each day.

A definite highlight of the two days will be a reading by the poet, essayist and memoirist John Montague on Saturday evening, July 4, preceded by a reception and performance by the RTÉ ConTempo String Quartet.

Author and gardener Alice Taylor will kick off Saturday’s events with her talk called The Gift of a Garden.  Physician and herbalist Dr Dilis Clare will then teach people how to grow their own drugs.

Kitty Scully, environmentalist and head kitchen gardener at Dublin’s Airfield Estate will discuss both pretty and productive gardening, while plant collector and garden designer Carl Wright of the Burren’s Caher Bridge Garden will give his 12 best plants for the year.

On Sunday, Botanic artist and author Jane Stark will speak on art inspired by the garden, while climatologist and deputy head of forecasting at Met Éireann Evelyn Cusack will explain the wonders of meteorology.

Head gardener at Kylemore Abbey Enya Gohlke will discuss the resurrection of the main garden at Kylemore and give insights for gardeners living on the western seaboard.

Talks will conclude with a panel discussion chaired by garden designer, organic expert and author Klaus Laitenberger to mark 2015 as International year of Soils.

Free musical events at this year’s festival include a concert from St Patrick’s Brass Band from 2-3.30pm on Saturday. There will also be performances by the University Hospital Choir and Silvermoon Jazz ensemble. Tickets for the 5pm concert by the RTÉ ConTempo String Quartet cost €15.

On Sunday, July 5, Sonic Strings from Gort will perform at 1pm followed by a concert by The Army Band of 2nd Command from 2-3.30pm. Other bands include the Baytones, ‘Stride’ O’Brien, Silvermoon Jazz ensemble and the unique Troubadour Mules.

Kids will love the Tommy Bakers Puppets as well as The Gombeens, who make a welcome return with their brand of mayhem and anarchy. The fabulous Fanzini Brothers and friends will do a world preview of their new show, Circus Jukebox, on both days.

Local craft workers and food makers will have their work showcased in the Made in Galway tent while nurseries and garden suppliers from across Ireland will offer a range of plants, trees, seeds, garden furniture, and equipment.

The Claregalway Botanical Art Expo will feature Ireland’s foremost botanical artists. Birdwatch Ireland and the Green Sod Land Trust will be manning stalls.

A free return courtesy bus will run from Ceannt Railway Station to Claregalway Castle daily, starting at 10.30am and running hourly from then on. Free parking facilities are also available.

All gate profits go to Christian Blind Mission, The Galway Simon Community and the Claregalway Day Care Centre. Entry is €8 and children go free. Further information at www.galwaygardenfestival.com

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The €30 million allocated to Galway County Council and €28 million to Galway City Council to build 608 houses in the county and 518 houses in the city by 2017 is a start – but nowhere near enough to solve the crisis.

That’s what Fine Gael Deputy Sean Kyne told the Dáil, when he said: “It is a welcome allocation but more is needed.”

BY TIM RYAN

Speaking during a debate on a new Urban Regeneration Bill, Deputy Kyne said one of the signs of the economy recovery is its impact on housing.

A few years ago, in 2010 and 2011, many people thought we would never have to build housing again because we had an over-supply nationwide, he pointed out.

But he added: “Now, however, we do not have enough housing units. And added to the complexity is the regional imbalance.

“We continue to have an oversupply of houses in certain parts of the country, including ghost estates, while in other areas there is little demand. In Galway, like other cities, in the last decade there was never an over-supply of housing.”

Deputy Kyne said another major factor in the housing shortage in Dublin was the absence of a realistic regional development plan.

“For several decades successive Governments have not afforded proper attention to balanced regional development,” he said.

“We now have a situation where one in three people live in the greater Dublin area. One in two or 50% of the population live in Leinster.

“This is not sustainable or in the best interests of the country at large. Unbalanced growth can have negative effects on these areas, as well as negative impacts on living standards.

“However, there are other areas, whether in the west, north-west, south-west or midlands, where there is capacity to expand substantially, enhance existing communities and provide for a better quality of life for people in these areas,” he said.

“While certain people will make remarks about certain parts of the west and may want to turn them into theme parks or a giant national park, it is important that we have continued regional development, with clear actions and clear points of responsibility to achieve this end.”

Speaking during the same debate, Fianna Fáil Deputy Eamon Ó Cúiv said when he was a member of Galway County Council back in 1997, one of the last things he did was argue that they needed to zone enough land around Oranmore to ensure a small number of property owners did not have inordinate control over the land supply.

“On the other hand, I was worried that if we zoned a reasonably significant amount of land, we would get a building explosion that would cause huge social difficulties around Oranmore,” he said.

“I suggested at the time, and lots of people threw cold water on it, that we should zone adequate land but we should put a codicil in the planning development plan providing that only a fixed number of houses could be built every year. This was something we introduced subsequently into county plans in Galway.

“That way one did not get caught with this tight parcel of land where the owner could say it was his land or no land.

“On the other hand, a huge amount of land was not zoned such that one would get a huge explosion of planning applications and lose control over the amount of houses provided.

“This time we need to ensure in our planning mechanisms that the number of houses we provide for meets the expected demand.”

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The planned opening of an additional school building for Coláiste Baile Chláir has been delayed.
Tenders are being sought for the provision of five temporary classrooms to cater for the influx of students to the secondary school for the next school term in September.
The contract will include the fabrication, supply, delivery and commissioning of the new classrooms, as well as removal when the rental period is over.
The deadline for submissions to the GRETB is the 10th of July.
Planning permission for a new school building at the Corporate Park in Claregalway was previously granted adjacent to the existing school.
However delays in the planning process have meant that the new school building won’t be complete this year.
Athenry Oranmore area councillor Malachy Noone says there had been concerns raised about the entrance to the school.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A city centre hotel has been evacuated following a flooding incident in the early hours of this morning.
Gardaí were called to the Forster Court Hotel on Forster Street at around 4am after a problem with a water tanker caused the building to flood.
Around 80 guests were asked to leave the building, they’re currently gathered in the nearby Hotel Meyrick at Eyre Square.
It’s not yet known if any damage was caused by the flooding.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – There has been a call for an open debate about a proposed commercial development at Clybaun Road in the city.
Highcross Developments has applied for planning permission for the mixed-use development, which will include a restaurant and bar.
Fine Gael Councillor Pearce Flannery says local residents are concerned about the proposal and have lodged submissions against the plans.
A decision is expected from the City Council in July.
However Sinn Féin Councillor Cathal Ó Conchúir says the development would provide much needed services and jobs to the Knocknacarra area.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – NUI Galway is one of three Irish universities which are to benefit from a two million euro grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation in the U.S.
NUIG, Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork will take part in the programme that aims to introduce entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
It’s the first time the Blackstone launchpad programme has been established on a university campus outside of the United States.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A city centre hotel has closed its doors indefinitely following a flooding incident in the early hours of this morning.
Gardaí were called to the Forster Court Hotel on Forster Street at around 4am after a problem with a water tanker caused the building to flood.
Around 80 guests were asked to leave the building, and went to the nearby Hotel Meyrick at Eyre Square.
A note on the hotel’s website states that due to a serious flood, the hotel is closed indefinitely.
The full extent of the damage is not yet known.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The HSE says a review is needed into the care of a woman with special needs who was turned away from UHG despite feeling suicidal.
The issue was raised at this week’s meeting of the HSE Regional Health Forum West.
Councillor Padraig Conneely says he was contacted by the elderly mother of a woman who had attempted to gain admission to UHG as she was feeling suidical.
He claims the 47 year old woman was turned away twice – but ended up being admitted to hospital after a subsequent suicide attempt.
In a written response provided to the councillor, the HSE says ‘hospitalisation is not always the most appropriate or therapeutic environment for the patient.’
HSE Chief Officer John Hayes described the story as ‘extremely concerning,’ and said the Executive Clinical Director would need to review the care of the patient.
Councillor Padraig Conneely says overall care procedures with regard to mental health issues need to be reviewed.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Councillors across the west are pressing the HSE for a dedicated medical cards phoneline for elected representatives – similar to the one operated by Irish Water.
The matter was raised by Councillor Mary Hoade at a recent meeting of the Regional Health Forum – which includes members of both Galway city and county council.
The HSE says the National Director of Primary Care, John Hennessy will meet with the chairs of Ireland’s four regional health fora in the coming weeks to discuss the matter.
Councillor Mary Hoade says Irish Water has provided a dedicated line for public representatives, and it’s time the HSE did too.
She says it’s been nine weeks since the forum made its last request for a dedicated line, and it still hasn’t happened.
Councillor Hoade says she’s asked the forum chairperson to get a definitive answer from the HSE at their meeting later this month.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A meeting between the Transport Minister and Galway homeowners affected by the planned bypass of the city, will go ahead this evening.
The meeting was due to take place in the Dáil last week, but had to be rescheduled because Minister Paschal Donohoe had other commitments.
This evening’s meeting will give landowners a chance to explain to the Minister, the impact the road project will have on their lives.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The UNESCO Child and Research Centre at NUI Galway is taking part in a research project to help children who have been unnecessarily placed in orphanages.
It will partner with international children’s organisation, Lumos which is funded by author J.K Rowling.
She is commissioning the UNESCO research wing to aid in the project.
It aims to increase understanding as to why children are separated from their families and put into orphanages all around the world.
UNESCO Chair and Professor in NUIG, Pat Dolan told Galway Bay fm news that it’s vital to help these children.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Carraroe-native former teacher and convicted sex offender has been jailed for another three years for sexually abusing three pupils.
63 year old Seosamh O’Ceallaigh, also known as Joseph Kelly, continues to deny abusing the children at Scoil Colm in Coolock, Dublin and rejects the guilty verdicts of the jury.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that as well as being a teacher in Dublin, he was also heavily involved in Irish language colleges in the west of Ireland.
Seosamh O’Ceallaigh of Beal An Daingin, Carraroe was convicted by a jury last month of sexually abusing or indecently assaulting the three boys at various locations including in the classroom, in his car and on school trips between 1977 and 1994.
He had denied the charges.
Due to the law in place during the earlier abuse, the maximum sentence available for those offences was two years.
He is currently serving a ten-year term imposed last year for grooming, raping and sexually abusing a young girl between 1982 and 1992.
Prosecuting counsel Paul Carroll presented evidence that O’Ceallaigh was responsible for first aid in the school and used this as an opportunity for abuse.
O’Ceallaigh abused a third child on a school trip to Galway when several schoolboys were staying with a relative of O’Ceallaigh’s one night.
Defence counsel Patrick McGrath said he is limited in what he can say in mitigation as O’Ceallaigh does not accept the verdict of the jury.
He submitted that his client has a large number of health problems including heart disease and depression and said that he retains the support of his wife.
Judge McCartan noted that the teacher didn’t deny the allegations himself in court but instructed his counsel to accuse the victims of lying during cross-examination.
The three year term imposed yesterday will begin after he completes his ten year sentence.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Loans connected to the G Hotel and the Hotel Meyrick in the city are to be sold at a discount of nearly 90 percent.
Currently Deutsche Bank is the preferred bidder for the portfolio, which has been named Project Maeve.
According to the Irish Independent, NAMA is selling loans tied to developer of the G hotel, Gerry Barrett which have a value of 778 million euro.
The loans are tied to a number of properties including the G Hotel and the Hotel Meyrick in the city and a number of large businesses in Drogheda.
Galway Businessman Gerry Barrett was one of the biggest borrowers from Anglo Irish Bank.
Although the loans have a value of 778 million euro Deutsche Bank is set to take on the portfolio for 97 million euro.
The discount is due to how well the assets involved are performing with the G Hotel considered to be the strongest in the portfolio.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway could be in for a record year for tourism based on the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
Overseas visits have increased by over 12% in the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2014, with more than three million tourists arriving in Ireland.
Galway West TD Brian Walsh says Galway has been to the fore in a ‘bumper’ period for Irish tourism as the peak summer tourist season approaches.
He says a number of targeted initiatives have greatly increased tourism traffic and revenue in the western region over the first half of this year:

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