Cllr Mairéad Farrell has criticised the Minister for Transport’s ‘short-sighted’ decision to cut funding for the maintenance of national roads, saying that it will have a disproportionate impact on Galway’s six secondary national roads.

The Department of Transport revealed that the 2018 budget for maintenance of the national network will be 15% lower than this year’s budget, down to €22 million from €26 million.

Cllr Farrell said: “The budget for the maintenance of our roads across the state is approximately €100 million less than what is required. Now councils have been informed that the budget to maintain 5,000km of national and secondary roads is going to be cut.

“Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is obliged to honour existing funding commitments to motorway and bridge maintenance, which means that the bulk of cuts will come from the national road maintenance budget, which is expected to amount to a 30% drop in funding for road maintenance.”

NEW FIGURES released by the CSO show that the rate of lone parent families ‘at risk of poverty’ has increased from 36.2% to 40.2%.

However, the overall ‘at risk of poverty’ rate fell from 16.9% in 2015 to 16.5% in 2016.

Those most at risk of poverty in 2016 were those living in households where there was no person at work (42.1%) and those individuals who were unemployed (41.9%).

In 2016, one in five people in the state experienced two or more types of enforced deprivation.

This compares with 25.5% in 2015 and a low of 11.8% in 2007.

Most socio-demographic groups experienced a decline in 2016 deprivation rates year-on-year.

Those living in households with one adult and one or more children aged under 18 had the highest deprivation rate in 2016 at 50.1%.

Commenting on the release of these new stats, Gerry Reilly, Senior Statistician said that this household survey is the official source of data on household and individual income and also gives us important information such as the ‘at risk of poverty’ rate.

“Key findings show that in 2016, the nominal median annual equivalised disposable income was €20,597 representing an increase of 3.0% on the nominal 2015 value of €20,000.

“This change is statistically significant. In terms of income equality there was no statistically significant change in income distribution when compared to 2015,” he said.

The overall ‘at risk of poverty’ rate, which is the share of persons whose income was less than 60% of the national median income, was 16.5% compared with 16.9% in 2015.  Gerry Reilly said that this change is not statistically significant.

“In addition, the percentage of people considered to be experiencing ‘enforced deprivation’, which is defined as not being able to afford two or more basics, such as going without heating in the past year, or being unable to afford items such as two pairs of strong shoes, a warm waterproof coat or a meal with meat, chicken fish every second day, was 21.0%, down from 25.5% in 2015.

“This change is statistically significant,” he added.

The  ‘consistent poverty rate’ which includes those persons who are defined as being both at risk of poverty and who are also experiencing enforced deprivation, was 8.3%, which was not a significant change on the 2015 figure of 8.7%. 

A Sinn Féin spokesperson commented: “This report found that there is an increased probability of being at risk of poverty as a result of the 2012 changes, many lone parents who lost the One Parent Family Payment remained unemployed, or were in low paid or part-time employment.

“The report went on to suggest that further supports, aimed at assisting lone parents to obtain full-time employment or increased hours of work, need to be put in place.”

Sean Kyne TD has welcomed €774,933 which has been allocated to Foróige to support an internationally recognised youth mentoring programme.

The funding will go to Foróige’s Big Brother Big Sister Programme – an internationally recognised, professionally-supported youth mentoring programme where volunteers support and mentor young people in communities throughout the country.

The Galway West TD said the funding of over three quarters of a million Euro from the Dormant Accounts Fund will help to maintain the Programme which has two strands – community-based and schools-based initiatives.

“I’m delighted to approve funding for this application from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs regarding Foróige’s Big Brother Big Sister Programme.

“Foroige is a long-established youth organisation which works with and for young people in communities across Ireland with youth clubs, youth cafés, support programmes, neighbourhood youth projects and the Big Brother Big Sister Programme,” he said.

The Fine Gael TD said that the funding is a great fit for the vision that his colleague Katherine Zappone has in the Department for Children.

“Minister Zappone has worked hard this year to secure extra funding for her Department and has overseen the roll-out of funding programmes for childcare providers as well as the Universal Childcare Subsidy and the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme which are benefiting families in all areas.#amme is an internationally recognised, professionally-supported youth mentoring programme through which volunteers support and mentor young people in communities throughout the country,” he added.

The biggest talking point in Galway right now has to be the prospect of a Gluas. Gluas, for anyone who has somehow avoided the moment’s water-cooler topic, is the name given to a proposed light rail system in the heart of Galway City. This huge preposition would solve the problems of traffic congestion in Galway and help cut back the cars on Ireland’s roads, eliminating more greenhouse gases.

The upcoming petition for the people of Galway isn’t the first we’ve seen of the Gluas; a local lobby group first put the idea forward in 2008 and again in 2015. Originally, 3 routes were proposed. Line 1 would start in Ballybrit, serving 8 destinations and end in Rahoon. Line 2 would run five stops Eyre Square to Barna. Line 3 would serve seven stops, beginning in Murrouh and ending at Taylors Hill. Once the Gluas was up and running, it was proposed that a fourth line be added, running from Eyre Square to Knocknacarra.

This cause is largely championed by one woman. Galway West TD, Catherine Connolly, is a firm believer in the advantages of the Gluas, and of the viability of one existing. Despite Minister Shane Ross describing the provision of a rail network in Galway as ‘excess of what is required’, Connolly is standing behind this ideal and has talked of the issue on Radió na Gaeltacha.

One point Connolly has made is that the government has now admitted that Ireland will fail to meet both its 2020 and its 2030 commitments in the Paris Agreements. She says that the Dáil’s excuses are ‘no longer acceptable given the challenges that we face with climate change. The provision of light-rail in the city is the clear and unambiguous solution and both community and business groups must come together to ensure the provision of light-rail in the city.’

As Galway City is predicted to grow in population to 124,000, it seems a solution to the environmental impact of its roads is needed . Both local community and government must face up to this problem.

GMIT today welcomed the publication of a report for the development of the college’s Mayo campus and ring-fenced funding of €750,000 for the campus in Castlebar in each of the next five years.

Minister Mitchell O’Connor announced that there will be funding of €750,000 for the Mayo campus for each of the next five years while the plan is being implemented.

The announcement was made alongside the publication of the report by the Working Group, Developing a Sustainable Plan for the Mayo Campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

President of GMIT, Dr Fergal Barry says: “The report’s aim, which sets out a plan to ensure a sustainable future for GMIT’s Mayo campus, is fully supported by the Institute and each recommendation will be implemented in full. The success of our Mayo campus is integral to the future of GMIT and its position as a driver of regional development.”

“The publication of this report and adoption of the recommendations is good news for our Mayo campus, for GMIT, for Castlebar town and for our region”.

“As an Institute we also look forward to the roll-out by government of a revised state funding model for Higher Education that will address the anomalies in the funding model and that will recognise the costs associated with the operation of all of our other campuses that are an equally integral part of our multi-campus provision serving the needs of our region.”

“This report is published against the backdrop of much improved admission figures for the present academic year across GMIT, with over 2,000 first year students welcomed in September.”

As recognised in the report, new courses such as the Mayo-based Early Childhood Education and Care helped drive this rise in interest, with over 500 applications for this course alone. The development of new programmes, which appeal to a wide range of potential students and serve the requirements of the local economy, is endorsed by the report and remains a key priority for the Institute. GMIT continues to create innovative courses, as shown by the ten most recent additions, which will be rolled out for the 2018-’19 academic year.” adds Dr Barry.

A spokesperson for the HEA says: “The HEA welcomes the announcement from the Minister today on the additional recurrent and capital investment to be provided to GMIT to facilitate the delivery of the sustainability plan for its Mayo campus. The HEA played a key role in producing this plan, chairing the Working Group, and we would like to thank all the other members of this Group who worked tirelessly to set out and agree a future path. We were struck by the commitment of campus staff, students and the wide range of stakeholders in the county and the region we met and the constructive way in which they contributed to finding a sustainable way forward.”

“Harnessing this continuing commitment will now be central to the plan’s ultimate success. We would also like to thank GMIT, and in particular its Governing Body, who were highly supportive throughout the process and who have made considerable commitments to support the campus’ future development. The Mayo campus is a critical piece of regional higher education infrastructure and we look forward to see it continue to serve its pivotal role in driving regional skills and growth.” added the spokesperson.

The Working Group’s recommendations will be implemented over the next five years, over the period 2018-2022, with a review of progress at the end of year two. There will also be formal progress reports to be submitted to the GMIT Governing Body and the HEA every four months.

Recommendations outlined in the report, to ensure the future of the GMIT Castlebar campus is secured, are as follows:

• The appointment of a dedicated permanent head of Mayo campus at vice-president to lead the practical delivery of this plan. (Recommendation 1)
• Establishment of a sub-committee of the GMIT governing body to oversee the development of the Mayo campus.
• Greater Mayo representation on the governing body should be facilitated where possible and within relevant policy and legislative frameworks
• Appointment of an interim independent external facilitator to work with the executive board, campus and other stakeholders to oversee the transition to the new structural and operational arrangements
• New programme development to be aligned with institute and campus strategies, the regional skills audit and market research including engagement with regional employers and representative groups
• The potential for development of new apprenticeship proposals (e.g. digital media, sales skills) should be investigated
• International and postgraduate offerings to be further developed to diversify the campus income base
• A mapping exercise should be undertaken with further education to build and communicate new progression pathways
• The Mayo Campus should continue its development as a centre of excellence for lifelong learning within GMIT.

The GMIT Working Group was chaired by the HEA and comprised representatives of GMIT, the Department of Education and Skills and the HEA. The brief of the working group was to formulate a plan towards a sustainable future and growth options for GMIT Mayo Campus, Castlebar.

The Working Group engaged extensively with the local community and business interests, staff and students of GMIT, the executive and board of GMIT, local public representatives, and other stakeholders. This included a number of meetings and open fora.

To inform the work of the Group, a base of information was gathered including an analysis of labour market needs in the region, student supply and demand, the role of the further education sector and the impact of the campus on the local and regional economy. The views of external stakeholders were sought in relation to these matters and 23 submissions were received and considered by the Working Group.

Sean Kyne TD has launched a new publication which contains recommendations for supporting the growth of creative economies in peripheral areas.

Creative Economies in Peripheral Regions is written by Dr Patrick Collins at NUI Galway and Professor James Cunningham at the University of Northumbria, and is designed to be a sustainable model for development in areas outside of large urban settlements.

The authors make the case for vibrant, creative and cultural economies in Ireland’s peripheral regions.

It is the first publication to map the existence of the creative economy beyond city boundaries.

This work takes place within the context of an evolving consumer society where there is increasing recognition of a change in consumer patterns as the modern consumption era matures.

Commenting about the new publication, Dr Patrick Collins from the School of Geography and Archaeology at NUI Galway, said: “This book is about putting a positive spin on the term ‘peripheral’. We provide evidence of people, inspired by their place, competing in international markets where the authenticity and creative nature of their produce is in high demand.”

Dr Collins explained that as more and more people buy goods that they feel reflect their own individual identity, more of us are expressing ourselves by how we dress, what we eat, what we listen to and where we go on holiday.

In doing so, he argues, we are turning our back on mass produced goods and services.

“As the market for these kinds of goods laden with expressive values increases, the products from our peripheral regions become more desirable. We argue in the book that it is the connectedness to place; the use of more traditional production techniques; and the imbued sense of authenticity in the produce of the peripheral regions that makes them more and more marketable in a maturing consumer society,” Dr Collins added.

Creative industries mentioned in the book include Telegael in Spiddal, County Galway, a leading feature film, TV drama and animation company with major global partners.

Telegael employs over 70 people in high value jobs and is co-producing projects with companies located all across the world.

Also mentioned is Druid Theatre, an organisation that produces critically acclaimed theatre productions inspired by the stories of the periphery and bringing them to audiences across Ireland and right around the world.

This book will be of value to those from a social science and business background and it will also be of interest to those within this growing sector and those that support it.

The Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment will hold its final meeting later today.

The committee, which is considering the recommendations made by the Citizens’ Assembly, will vote on whether to recommend repealing the Eighth Amendment.

Following its preference to not retain the Eighth Amendment in full, members are expected to recommend repeal.

Member of the committee and Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton changed her position after hearing evidence and will now support repeal.

Committee Chair Senator Catherine Noone explained: “At our meeting, the Committee will complete its examination of the report and recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly through voting process and we will then prepare our draft report in accordance with the Committee’s terms of reference.”

This meeting will take place in at 2pm.

The Citizens’ Assembly made its recommendations in April by a secret-ballot vote, and its recommendations were seen as a victory by pro-choice activists campaigning for repeal.

Eighty-seven percent of the Citizens’ Assembly members voted that the Eighth Amendment should not be retained in full.

In the second ballot, 56 percent of members voted that it should be amended or replaced.

Meanwhile, 57 percent of the Members recommended that it should be a matter for the Oireachtas to decide how to legislate on these issues.

The Assembly members made recommendations about the reasons, if any, for which termination of pregnancy should be lawful in Ireland, as well as any gestational limits that should apply.

Sixty-four percent of members recommended that the termination of pregnancy without restriction should be lawful.

Forty-eight percent recommended that the termination of pregnancy without restriction should be lawful up to 12 weeks gestation age only.

And forty-four per cent recommended that the termination of pregnancy without restriction should be lawful up to 22 weeks’ gestation age only.

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone today published the report on the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam.

The Expert Technical Group Report said that the identification of remains would be complex and that it could be impossible in some cases.

A collective identity, the report said, may be all that is possible.

“The issue of DNA and potential identification is highly complex and comes with high expectations. In reality, individual identification of remains here is unlikely without further significant investigation,” the report said.

“The commingled state of individuals makes it particularly challenging to isolate the skeletal remains of a single individual.

“The risk of destruction to human remains themselves, in the pursuit of DNA, also poses a range of ethical questions. In a collective interment scenario, a collective identity is potentially all that is possible.”

Mass grave

The report continued: “The site here cannot be considered a mass grave in terms of what is typically associated with violence or conflict; however, any further physical investigation here would necessitate the use of the skillset designed to forensically investigate mass graves. The excavation and analysis of this sitetype requires a specialised and distinct set of skills in terms of initial organising and set-up, on-site recovery and post recovery analysis. Archaeological excavation is destructive process; information is lost if not recorded promptly accurately and comprehensively in a standardised approach. The approach must satisfy judicial requirements, irrespective of whether for judicial or humanitarian reasons.”

Katherine Zappone TD said: “I want to ensure that whatever action is taken respects the memory and dignity of those who are buried there and takes account of the concerns and wishes of all who are affected, whether as former residents of the home, relatives of those who may be buried there, or as local residents who live near the site.”

The report said that forensic science has been increasingly used in complex cases such as this during the last 30 years, and that “this approach provides a structure that protects the dignity of the dead through proper recovery, management, and where possible, identification.”

However, the report also said: “It must be stated that it is possible that what is desired to be known about those interred here, may never be fully realised.”

The five options

The report set out five options of what could happen.

“The ETG has identified five options available to deal with the human remains at the site:
i) Memorialisation – an option that may be adopted in its own right but also as a result of any further option or action undertaken on site.

ii) Exhumation of known human remains – whereby human remains are exhumed to an alternative location with no further investigation or analysis.

iii) Forensic excavation and recovery of known human remains – a full forensic control and methodology to recover the remains identified to date by previous excavations. Engineering and Health and Safety consultations indicate that excavation here would be possible but will require a considered approach and significant ground preparations. Full analysis of the remains could be conducted at a post excavation stage.
i. Technical Report on the Tuam Site
ii. Stage 2: Options and Appropriate Course of Action available to the Government at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home, Tuam, Co. Galway and Health and Safety consultations indicate that excavation here would be possible but will require a considered approach and significant ground preparations. Full analysis of the remains could be conducted at a post excavation stage.

iv) Forensic excavation and recovery of known human remains with further evaluation/excavation of other areas of interest – the geophysical survey conducted over the entire site illustrates that there are further subsurface anomalies outside of the memorial garden. This would include the recovery of remains identified in the memorial garden and any further human remains identified at other locations.

v) Forensic Excavation of Total Available Area – the most intrusive excavation covering 100% of the available site. All known human remains would be recovered and all other anomalies would be investigated. This is the most exhaustive approach with potential to expose archaeological features.”

The annual COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim is 28 years in existence this year and the local charity is calling on all in Galway on the day to brave the cold and hop into the sea at Blackrock, Salthill to raise much needed funds for COPE Galway services.

COPE Galway Community Fundraiser, Marie Anne Michel said that The COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim has become a real tradition over the years.

“We’ve seen hundreds of friends, family, neighbours and visitors meeting up and taking the plunge together in our name as an annual prelude to their Christmas Day festivities,” she said. “This year’s swim promises to be bigger and better than ever and a wonderful way for family & friends to come together Christmas morning to remember local people in Galway who need your support.”

“We look forward to greeting all who take part with a hot drink and a bit of festive fun at Blackrock on the day – all are welcome.”

In 2016 COPE Galway worked with 702 adults and their 512 children affected by homelessness in Galway; assisted 314 women and 158 children experiencing domestic violence; and produced and delivered 44,565 meals on wheels for 392 people.

Funds raised from The COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim go directly towards keeping these vital services operating.

The COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim takes place at Blackrock, Salthill on Christmas morning from 10am to 1pm. To register & for more information log onto www.copegalway.ie/swim or call 091 778750 / 085 8597898. Registration costs €10.