Breaking News
300 thousand euro to seize horses in the county
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Around 300 thousand euro has been spent in the county so far this year on seizing horses.
That’s according to Director of Services with the County Council, Eugene Cummins, who presented figures to the Joint Policing Committee meeting.
He said that a contractor, employed by the Council to seize horses, has been paid almost 213 thousand euro.
However there are additional costs, including Council staffing and veterinary costs, which would bring the total up to around 300 thousand euro.
Director Cummins said the costs are not sustainable, and while the funds are recouped from the Department, the taxpayer as a whole, cannot bear the costs longterm.
He told members of the policing committee that there are horrifying welfare issues with regard to horses on a weekly basis.
He added that the majority of reports of wandering or neglected horses are in the East of the county.
24 thousand horses were slaughtered nationally last year and 8 thousand have already been slaughtered this year.
Councillor Jimmy McClearn said that until there is a national strategy to deal with animals like stallions wandering on public land or commanges, the role of the local authority in relation to horse seizures is impossible.
Councillor Malachy Noone said that there needs to be a widespread cull of stallions but the Department of Agriculture is “not interested” as horses are not part of the food chain.
Speaking to Galway Bay fm News, Councillor Noone says wandering horses need to be culled before they end up killing someone through collisions on busy roads.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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