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Environmental hurdles scupper work on upgrading N59 road

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As environmental hurdles scupper work on upgrading the Oughterard to Clifden road, there is no such hold-up on another section of the N59 in rural west Mayo .

A major upgrading scheme is curently underway on the N59 between Westport and Mulranny with the present phase due to be finished in November.  The plan includes 600 metres of offline (effectively a new roadway) as well as the general upgrading work.

The N59 road enters into County Mayo in Leenane and follows on into Westport and north to Bangor Erris.  From there it angles eastwards to Ballina and into Co Sligo.

Environmental hurdles have scuppered attempts to upgrade the N59 from Oughterard to Clifden.

But work is powering ahead in Mayo. An Bord Pleanála gave development permission for an upgrade of the 23-kilometre section from Westport to Mulranny; the phase being developed at the moment is between Kilmeena and Kilbride.

€4.5m. was allocated for this year’s work – that is about the same sum of money which had to be returned to the State coffers from Connemara last year because the Co Council could not get a go-ahead for their plans from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

It now looks likely that some of the €2m allocated for the general plans from Oughterard to Clifden for 2016 may again be going back to Dublin this year.

Ironically, the only money that may be spent is for the purchase of land between Maam Cross and Oughterard while there is no action on the actual road.  This is happening because the Bord Pleanála process involved the acquisition of lands beside the N59; the Council now must buy the land irrespective of what happens in relation to the 15-kilometre stretch of roadway from Oughterard to Maam Cross.

Sources in Mayo County Council say they will be continuing the work between Westport and Mulranny in phases.  While acknowledging that there has been a serious cutback in spending by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly the National Roads Authority), a spokesman in Mayo said that it was their intention to continue the work until it is complete.

Mayo County Council sources say that they have regular contact with the National Parks and Wildlife Service while road plans such as the one between Westport and Mulranny are being prepared.

The Council also carries out a preliminary study before they embark on looking for tenders from contractors. This is done in case there is any substantial change in environmental issues locally since the time of Development Permission being given.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service are made aware of that process.  When contractors are appointed to do the work, they are obliged to maintain contact with the Parks and Wildlife Service.

The sources in Mayo County Council say they were not hindered – for the most part – by Special Areas of Conversation or other designations on the Westport to Mulranny section of the N.59.  However, the plans were slightly impinging on designated areas at one point but it was not seen as significant.

Connemara has a very large area – possibly up to 80% west of Oughterard – of lands designated as SACs, NHA’s and SPA.  This has now constrained a lot of developments including the N59 which has been described as the “worst road of its kind in Ireland” by senior national politicians.

Connacht Tribune

West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

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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.

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Connacht Tribune

Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races

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Loughrea’s Marathon Man Jarlath Fitzgerald.

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.

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CITY TRIBUNE

Galway ‘masterplan’ needed to tackle housing and transport crises

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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.”

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