Parts of a Spiddal restaurant was closed by the HSE for three days in December following health and safety concerns in the restaurant which included dead spiders and cobwebs in the dry goods store.

Today’s Food Safety Authority report states that the closure of Tigh Giblin’s kitchen and food prep areas began on December 15.

A letter sent by the HSE to the owners explained:

“The premises was in a very dirty condition throughout. All areas of the premises where foodstuffs were stored, handled, prepared and cooked were observed to be in a dirty condition.

The floor was dirty throughout the premises. Reminants of old flour was present on some areas of the floor. Grime was evident on the floor to wall junctions. Gaps in the floor were engrained with dirt in the vegetable store room.

A thick accumulation of dirt and grease was evident on the wall and floor behind the cooking equipment.
Mould growth was evident in the ceiling in the wash up area.

The wall in the dry good store area was black with dirt. Skirting boards were covered in dirt and grime throughout the premises. Cobwebs and dead spiders were evident in the dry goods store.

Sockets, light switches and electrical cables were coated with dirt and grime through the premises.

The microwave unit located in the cooking area was in a very dirty condition. The poor standard of basis hygiene and cleanliness observed posed a risk of contamination to food prepared and stored on the premises.”

The letter also mentioned that dead insects and flies were evident in the area used for the storage of foodstuffs and that reminants of old food were present on surfaces where foods were stored but had not been cleaned.

A total of 64 enforced closures were issued throughout the State in 2017. Seven enforcement orders were issued in December.

The closure relating to the restaurant in Spiddal was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.

Next Monday, 15 January, the Galway Anti-Racism Network will hold a public meeting exploring the difficulties faced by people living under Direct Provision.

The meeting features speakers who have lived experiences of the system.

GARN says that the exhibition of work will be so powerful that the everyday misery of life in Direct Provision will be ‘implanted on your mind.’

Organisations and political parties like GARN are determined to make 2018 the year that Direct Provision is dismantled, but they say that they need more allies.

Public Meeting and Exhibition: What is Direct Provision?

Monday 15th January in the Harbour Hotel 7-10pm.

Please RT and share. All are welcome to attend. pic.twitter.com/vfuKAU3SRN

— GARN (@galwayantiRN) January 8, 2018

Direct Provision was brought in as an emergency measure in 1999, but almost two decades on, GARN says that it is shocked at how little the average Irish person knows about it. So here’s a quick guide to Direct Provision.

(An in-depth diary by one of the speakers at Monday’s public meeting, Vukašin Nedeljkovic, is available here.)

What is Direct Provision?

Under international law, the Irish government is required to provide the basic needs of food and shelter for asylum seekers directly while their claims for refugee status are being processed. This can take over five years.

The government chooses to do this rather rather than provide full cash payments.

Direct provision has been in place for almost 18 years. When it began in 2000, asylum seekers received full board accommodation and personal allowances of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 per child per week, but conditions the quality of life in the system have been heavily criticised by human rights organisations.

What are Asylum Seekers given under Direct Provision?

The bare minimum for survival. Asylum Seekers are given accommodation, food and a personal allowance of €21.60 per week.

The cost of all meals, heat, light, laundry, TV, household maintenance, etc. are paid for.

What are the concerns?

Those living under Direct Provision are often unable to access education, employment or even to cook for themselves.

The adult weekly allowance has not changed in real terms since its introduction 18 years ago.

Once in the system, Asylum Seekers don’t know how long they will remain there.

As a result of being separated from the rest of society, anxiety, depression and ill health are widespread.

We have a homelessness crisis. Shouldn’t we look after our own first?

Ireland has never looked after its own.

Emigration, the Troubles, the Mother and Baby Homes, Magdalene Laundries, psychiatric institutions, the Catholic Church’s cover-up of abuse across the country.

Between the 1920s and the 1960s, 1% of the Irish population at any given time were locked up in inhumane institutions, often run by the Church, away from the rest of society.

Who is speaking at next Monday’s meeting?

•  Lucky Khambule of MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland)
• Vukasin Nedeljkovic of Asylum Archive
• Blessing Moyo of One World Tapestry
• Peju Awoyemi of Galway Anti Racism Network (Chair)

€26.167 million has been allocated for Galway’s national roads for this year.

The funding allocated to Galway’s councils by Transport Infrastructure Ireland for 2018 will fund improvements to many of Galway’s major transport routes including the N59 Galway – Clifden road, the N84 Headford Road, the N6 at Bothar na dTreabh and the old N17/N18 roads.

The funding of over €25 million for Galway County Council – up from €21.6 million in 2017 – will ensure significant improvements to major roads in the county and includes:

• €4.94 million for the N59 which will fund works between Clifden and Oughterard, including between Maam Cross and Bunakill, road widening at Letterfrack, pavement strengthening works on the Galway side of Oughterard, on the northern approach to Clifden and on the Clifden side of Maam Cross, and to progress the Moycullen Bypass;
• €2 million to progress the Galway Ring Road for which the planning application will be submitted in the coming weeks;
• €424,424 to improve the old N18 near the Carrowmoneesh Roundabout;
• €4.5 million for the N84 Headford Road which will fund overlay works between Castlequarter to Corrandulla, between Clonboo and Corrandulla, on approach to Clonboo and at Bunnaconeen as well as pavement strengthening works at Ballindooley;
• €200,000 for further works on the Luimnagh Realignment Scheme on the N84
• €50,000 for traffic calming works at Claregalway.

The funding represents a year-on-year increase of almost 17%.

Galway City Council has been allocated €1.13 million – up from €806,000 in 2017 – which includes €500,000 for improvements to Bothar na dTreabh as well as funding for pavement improvements, maintenance and route lighting.

Overall for Galway this investment of €26.167 million by Government will see significant improvements in the national road network in the city and county which is used by tens of thousands of people on a daily basis.

Sean Kyne TD said that the funding allocations of €4.94 million for the N59 and €4.7 million for the N84 are particularly important as these roads are “vital access routes to the city and the motorway network from Connemara and North Galway.”

The funding will facilitate works that will improve the condition of roads and road safety – important for all road users.

Sean Kyne TD said: “The increase in the funding for Galway’s national roads demonstrates the Government’s commitment to investment in infrastructure and I know both Galway County and Galway City Councils will put this funding to use for the benefit of residents and communities across Galway this year.”

Cllr James Charity said that the Headford Road funding will address the section of road between Luimnagh and Ballindooley, with works also taking in both approaches to Clonboo and the northern approach to Ballindooley.

He said that it also represents the largest investment in this stretch of the road in living memory.

“I continue to press for the upgrade of the road to cope with increased traffic volume and have finally received confirmation from the Minister that the issue of upgrading the N84 has been referred to the TII for consideration,” said Cllr Charity.

One of the country’s largest Gaelscoileanna opened in Galway this morning.

Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh in Knocknacarra was founded in 1993 on the Cappagh Road.

Between 1993 – 1999 the gaelscoil was housed in temporary accommodation in the Knocknacarra area. In 1999 it moved into its new school building of eight classrooms, school hall, offices and ancillary rooms.

Due to the growth of the school and the demand for Irish medium education in the area it was required to use portocabins  foradditional classes on the school’s site.

The new building has 24 classrooms, and includes offices, additional rooms, and sporting and parking facilities.

Until the Christmas break, Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh was located in a housing estate near its current location in Knocknacarra.

GALWAY will receive over €150,000 from the Department of Rural and Community Development for rural recreation projects across the county.

The funding was announced by Galway Fine Gael TD Sean Kyne.

The allocation, from the Department’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, includes €80,000 to extend and improve the trail at Knockma Hill, between Belclare and Caherlistrane.

It also includes €73,150 for a recreational facility at Shéanadh Mhacha, north-west of Oughterard near Lough Corrib.

Sean Kyne said that the the improvement and establishment of outdoor recreation facilities is important to visitors and locals alike with tourism, economic and health-related benefits.

“The projects being funded are included in the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme administered by my colleague at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Minister Michael Ring TD,” the Galway West TD said.

“Part of the Government’s ‘Realising Our Rural Potential: Action Plan for Rural Ireland, the Scheme focuses on supporting outdoor recreational infrastructure including walking trails, cycleways and blueways and in turn boosts local tourism and the local economy.

“I look forward to the improvements that this funding allocation will bring for Galway as well as the launch of other schemes from my department to support communities across the country in 2018,” the Fine Gael TD added.

NUI GALWAY and Gas Networks Ireland are leading a new transport revolution, introducing compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable gas for trucks, vans and buses.

The ‘Causeway’ project is the first time the University has secured a funding application from the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility.

The Causeway project received approval for €6.5 million co-funding from the European Commission.

Causeway will see the development of a natural gas transport re-fuelling network in Ireland.

The project will support an overall nationwide roll-out of 70 compressed natural gas filling stations.

In addition to this, a renewable gas injection facility will be built in 2018. This will introduce renewable gas into the natural gas network for the first time.

The work which is undertaken in Ireland will be monitored and documented by NUI Galway.

This research will then be fed back to gas operators all over Europe and will assist in the development of similar projects across the continent.

Commenting on the project, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne, said that this is a major project for NUI Galway to be involved in, as it will form the basis of the first use of an alternative, sustainable transport fuel in Ireland.

“Within our Ryan Institute for Environment, Marine and Energy Research, in particular, we have built up a track record in sustainability research and innovation.

“This includes decades of scientific and engineering expertise built up in the area of renewable gas. We look forward to NUI Galway playing a key role in distilling and disseminating the results and impacts of the Causeway Project, not only for the benefit of Ireland, but to provide learnings to other EU member states too,” Dr Browne said.

Denis O’Sullivan, Head of Commercial at Gas Networks Ireland, explained that transport accounts for over one third of all energy used in Ireland.

“The development of a natural gas transport network will significantly de-carbonise Ireland’s commercial fleet. CNG, and the soon to be introduced renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner.

“Gas Networks Ireland is determined to play an important role in facilitating the development of this new, cleaner transport network. It is particularly important that the advances we are making through this project, and through the work of NUI Galway, will play a role in changing the transport landscape throughout Europe,” he said.