Connacht Tribune
Bay energy test site objectors up in arms over ‘flawed’ bid
Objectors have cast doubt on the legality of the foreshore lease application for a planned test site off the coast of An Spidéal.
Residents living in the seaside village in South Connemara have appealed to the authorities to “urgently investigate” why certain key environmental documents were not included in the Marine Institute’s application.
A recently formed environmental group in Spiddal, 1Guth Comhshaoil, has questioned whether the foreshore application has complied with Irish and European law.
The group has written to a whole host of organisations and state agencies, including Inland Fisheries Ireland and National Parks and Wildlife Service, and to government departments, demanding answers.
“There is no Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Natura Impact Statement (NIS) included with this foreshore lease application. There is no statutory environmental assessment of the development. There is no ecological impact assessment of the project,” the group said, in letters to various organisations.
Campaigners believe these omissions from the application make it a “flawed” foreshore lease application, and claim that the omission of and EIS and NIS “undoubtedly bring into question the legality of the Minister’s final determination regarding this application.”
They argue that the “legality of the whole application process must surely be in doubt” due to the “irregularities”.
The group has heaped pressure on local politicians, too, and has written to Seán Kyne, the Galway West TD, and Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources.
In it, they have demanded answers from Minister Kyne, as to why some organisations within his remit have failed to answers questions about “serious concerns” the group has over the process.
“How is it possible that your department’s officials in Inland Fisheries Ireland, failed to advise Minister Simon Coveney that a statutory environmental assessment would be necessary in order to comply with environmental legislation, considering the various possible negative environmental impacts outlined in their submission on the above mentioned foreshore lease application?
“Can you please confirm that Minister Simon Coveney and his department’s officials, have been made aware of the need for a statutory environmental assessment in order to comply with European legislation,” Minister Kyne was asked.
The lack of an NIS was confirmed on February 21 by an official in Minister Simon Coveney’s department.
The official confirmed that not only was there no NIS with the application, but that the Appropriate Assessment screening process “has not been completed yet”.
The Marine institute’s original application stated it was seeking permission to deploy three turbines of 60 metres in height.
However, it subsequently corrected its application and insisted the “devices” will be half that height.
“A prototype floating wind turbine being tested on the site could have a blade tip at maximum 35m above sea level while wave energy converters would be up to 5m above sea level,” it said. It has applied for a 35-years lease, and the wind turbines will be on site “intermittently”.
The application states that there will be a limit of three ocean energy test devices deployed at any one time for a period of testing “no greater than 18 months”.
A total of 557 submissions were lodged as part of the public consultation on the Galway Bay marine and renewable test energy site.
Among the concerns raised, which are 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, lack of transparency, 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 length of the 35-years lease is too long, it is too close to the shoreline, it will create noise pollution, it will cause general pollution, there was insufficient consultation with the public, there was a lack of information during the consultation process, 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.
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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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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
