News
Dog days in Galway: little enforcement of control laws
New statistics suggest that enforcement of dog control laws in Galway City was non-existent for a second year in a row.
The Department of Environment figures show that during a 24 months period, not one on-the-spot fine was issued by Galway City Council in relation to dog enforcement laws, which includes dog fouling, a problem that consistently blights parts of the city, and is regularly raised at Galway Joint Policing Committees.
By contrast, some 430 one-the-spot fines in relation to breaches of the Control of Dogs Act, were issued in Louth last year, and some 226 in Kerry, 224 in Monaghan and 111 in Offaly.
As well as dog defecating, owners of canines can receive on-the-spot fines for not having their dogs on a lead, for not having a licence for the dogs or for allowing them to run on the city’s beaches without a leash during the summer months.
The department’s figures show that the local authority-run dog pound in the city had income of just over €31,000 last year, and expenditure of over €96,000 meaning it had an operating deficit of just over €65,000.
The data shows that a total of 162 stray and unwanted dogs were surrendered or collected by the city’s dog pound in 2012 – some 87 of these were put down, two died of natural causes, and 73 were either reclaimed or re-housed.
A further 38 stray and unwanted greyhounds were surrendered/collected at the city pound and all of them were put down.
The department issued some 1,501 dog licences to city residents in 2012, 157 more than the previous year.
In County Galway, where there are two dog wardens operating from two local authority pounds, a total of 28 on-the-spot fines were issued last year.
In the county, a total of 404 dogs were seized by the County Council, and 13 were surrendered or collected. Of these, 366 were re-homed or reclaimed, and just 59 – far fewer than the city – were put down.
The County Council’s dog enforcement facilities also made a loss. It cost €182,000 to operate the facility in 2012, just over €59,000 more than the income it generated.
The Council issued some 7,186 individual dog licences last year, 716 fewer licences in 2012 compared with the previous year. It also issued nine general dog licences, whereas the city issued none.
Madra, the Connemara-based dog rescue and adoption service, said the figures highlights that “irresponsible and careless dog owners are living in our community”.
It highlighted that in County Galway there was a 23% increase in the number of dogs coming through the pound system was reported with an extra 65 dogs being taken in, bringing the total number to 417.
MADRA works with both local authorities and has helped to reduce the ‘put-to-sleep’ (PTS) rate in both counties. Since 2005 the County Galway PTS rate has fallen from 83% to 14% in 2012, which is down 4% in a year despite the increase in the number of dogs being seized or surrendered.
MADRA works with both local authorities and has helped to reduce the ‘put-to-sleep’ (PTS) rate in both counties. Since 2005 the county Galway PTS rate has fallen from 83% to 14%.
MADRA is a Connemara based dog rescue and adoption service dedicated to rescuing and re-homing abandoned, neglected and abused dogs. Last year MADRA rescued over 500 dogs and over 200 puppies.
Next Thursday, April 18 at 8.30pm, Crowe’s Bar in Bohermore will host a table quiz to fundraise for Madra. The charity relies on the support of members of the general public to continue to fund its work, with annual running costs of over €100,000 per annum. A table of four people will cost €40 with complimentary finger food. For more information on MADRA visit www.madra.ie or call (086) 8149026.
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.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
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.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
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
