Connacht Tribune
More than 500 submissions on Marine Institute’s plans
The Marine Institute’s planned test site off the coast of An Spidéal has attracted a wave of opposition from concerned individuals and organisations.
A total of 557 submissions were lodged as part of the public consultation on the Galway Bay marine and renewable test energy site, it has been confirmed.
One local business has claimed the development has the potential to lead to 20 job losses, and local fishermen have also expressed concern that it will damage their livelihoods.
The family-run Park Lodge Hotel or Óstán na Páirce in An Spidéal “strongly” opposes the application for a 35-year foreshore lease.
“We have used Galway Bay at Park Lodge Hotel as a unique selling point in promoting our hotel over the past 36 years. We are concerned if this application is approved our business will suffer and result in a loss of 20 jobs for local people.
“This is unacceptable and consequently must not be allowed to happen as it will impact the wider tourism industry, which over the past two to three years has grown due to the Wild Atlantic Way,” the hotel’s submission reads.
A father and son fishermen duo, who operate a prawn trawler in the area, and have done since the 1960s, is also opposing the application.
The objector, whose name has been redacted, said they fish for prawns to the north, south, east and west of the site in question, and “not just to the west of it as the Marine Institute state in their application.”
“We lost a considerable amount of prosperous fishing ground when the original lease was granted without our knowledge in 2006, when we agreed to a site further to the southeast,” the submission reads.
It adds: “Our concern is that if a new lease is granted, the holders will increase the area of the site or God forbid seek an exclusion zone around the site without our knowledge just like ten years ago. If this were to happen it would mean considerable financial loss to our vessels, crews and families.”
Fishermen on the Aran Islands have also objected to the location of the test site, due to the potential negative impacts on prawn fishing.
“I am writing to you expressing a major concern in relation to the site location of this project,” said Sean Griffin, General Manager of Galway and Aran Fishermen’s CO-OP ltd.
“I believe that the project is worthwhile but the site location could be changed. It would not need to be changed drastically, possibly a mile or so further near Galway. The reason for the issue with the current proposed location is that it is in the middle of prawn grounds that a number of smaller trawlers fish during the year. This number has become more significant as the catches have increased in this area in the last two years.
“Surveys carried out by the Marine Institute show a high density of prawns in this location. I would propose that the Marine Institute sit down with the boats who are members of Galway and Aran Co-Op in order for them to determine what areas are fishing grounds and which are not, in this area.”
Fianna Fáil Galway County Councillor, Seán Ó Tuairisg, in his submission as Gaeilge, simply called for a public hearing into the application.
Scores of private individuals made submissions as part of the process, as well as organisations such as An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, University of Sussex, Environmental Action Alliance, Clare County Council, Fáilte Ireland and Coastal Concern Alliance.
Concerns raised – as summarised by the authorities – include incorrect information, vague information about economic benefits, misleading information, a conflict of interest and lack of impartiality of Minister Simon Coveney, no Environmental Impact Statement, inadequate information about the impact the site will have on the environment, confusion over whether it will be connected to the national grid, the 35-year lease is too long, it is too close to the shoreline, noise pollution, general pollution, there was insufficient consultation, it will impact on tourism along the Wild Atlantic Way, and it poses risks to birds, marine mammals, fish and general wildlife.
Minister Coveney will be advised by the Marine Vetting Licensing Committee, and will then make a decision on the application.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
