Connacht Tribune
Flood defences cutbacks ‘due to kids hospital overrun’
Government overruns in funding the new National Children’s Hospital have resulted in Portumna’s flood defences being put on the back burner, a local TD has claimed.
According to Deputy Anne Rabbitte (FF), despite being identified as ‘high risk’ by the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) reports in 2016, the Minister was failing to act because of cut backs in funding for flood relief.
“Portumna, under the CFRAMs assessment, was identified as high risk. It said there was one big gap in the length of the Shannon that could cause flooding and that was in Portumna,” she said.
In a parliamentary question to the Minister with responsibility for the OPW and Flood Relief, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Deputy Rabbitte queried the development of flood relief schemes in South Galway.
In relation to Portumna, Minister Moran said: “The Portumna Flood Relief Scheme is not being progressed in the first phase of investment under the Government’s €1 billion flood risk capital programme, but will be progressed in the coming years and within the ten-year timeframe for the programme of investment.”
The commitment to complete this within ten years was akin to “giving the two fingers to the people of Galway”, said Deputy Rabbitte.
She said if the Shannon were to burst its banks in Portumna, it would block the N65 – a main artery she said that provided access to schools and hospitals for three provinces.
This was an example of “willful neglect” by the Government, said Deputy Rabbitte.
“A lot of people from Lorrha have to go to Ballinasloe to have their babies; it’s a main route for people getting from South Galway to both Galway and Limerick Cities.
“Boxer [Moran] referred millions back to the Children’s Hospital Fund last year. We’re paying for the Children’s Hospital in Portumna, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.
The CFRAMs assessment had offered two options to protect Portumna from flooding, she said, one that would have cost £2.1 million and the other – the one that was selected – costing €3.96 million.
The risk of flooding was hampering potential investment in Portumna, claimed Deputy Rabbitte.
“In the overall scheme of things, Portumna has lost its hotel and has done its best to survive, but there has been a total lack of investment in the ‘Hidden Heartlands’,” she added.
Another incident of flooding such as the one that occurred during Storm Desmond in 2015 would be enough to close several businesses, she continued.
“Locally, we have done as much as we can. The design is done for this gate; Portumna has been identified as high-risk; it’s now in the Minister’s gift to fund it.”
Minister Moran had invested heavily in flood protection schemes in his own constituency in Athlone, she said, which would likely create further flooding problems further down the Shannon in places like Portumna.
“So, not only are we going to pay the price of not getting flood protection, he has invested so much in his own place that it’s going to be coming down on top of us even quicker,” she said.
Failure to act now could end up costing the state even more than the almost €4 million invested needed, said Deputy Rabbitte, because the environmental assessments already carried out will be deemed out of date if this drags on for another five years.
In relation to the Gort Lowlands Flood Relief Scheme, the Minister confirmed to Deputy Rabbitte that a feasibility and route selection assessment was expected to be completed by early 2020.
“If the development scheme is acceptable from an environmental and cost benefit perspective, it is possible that construction will commence in 2021, with an estimated construction period of eighteen months,” said Minister Moran.
However, Deputy Rabbitte said it should be noted that this statement was “couched in uncertainty”.
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.
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.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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.
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.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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
