Connacht Tribune
Legal wrangle delays turf cutters’ trial
The trials of four Galway turf cutters cannot proceed until the Supreme Court makes its ruling regarding a legal challenge brought by two Kerry turf cutters, against the constitutionality or otherwise of their prosecution by the State for the alleged cutting of turf on protected bogs.
That was the position put forward by the State this time last year at Galway Circuit Criminal Court and nothing has changed in the intervening twelve months as the same submissions were made again this week.
The separate trials of the four men – who were initially charged in 2013 with moving machinery onto protected bogs in 2012 – had been set down in July 2016 for hearing in December 2016 at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.
But the court was told in October 2016 that the Kerry turf-cutters had sought judicial review in the High Court, testing the constitutionality of similar charges brought against them under EU conservation legislation and that the Galway trials could not proceed until the higher court had made its ruling in the Kerry cases.
The four Galway men, who were the first to be prosecuted by the State after the EU habitats directive imposed more stringent restrictions on turf cutting on 53 Irish bogs in 2011, were initially due to stand trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in March 2014.
But their trials have been adjourned again and again in the interim as their Kerry counterparts appeal their prosecutions through the higher courts.
The Circuit Court, the High Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal have, in turn, held that the Kerry prosecutions are constitutional, but the turf cutters there have since lodged an appeal before the Supreme Court and that is where the matter now rests.
State prosecutor for Galway East, Geri Silke BL, informed Galway Circuit Criminal Court this week that the Galway trials could not proceed until the Supreme Court made its ruling.
Defence barrister, Conal McCarthy, asked the court to fix a trial date for his client, Anthony Porter, pointing out that the matter had been on the court list since 2013. He said his client were most anxious to have the matter dealt with.
Judge Brian O’Callaghan agreed to adjourn the matter to October 8 to see what stage the Supreme Court case was at then.
Michael Darcy (44) from Ballycahill, Killimor; Padraic Byrne (58) from Main Street, Killimor; Pat McDonagh (44) from Portumna; and Anthony Porter (45) from Woodford, face prosecution under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, in relation to incidents of turf cutting which allegedly occurred at Clonmoylan Bog, near Killimor in south Co. Galway on May 22 and, 23 and August 2, 2012.
Their Roscommon counterpart, Patrick Lavin, from Mullen, Frenchpark, is also charged with cutting turf on a protected bog near Ballymoe on the Galway/Roscommon border on June 28, 2013.
He too, has been remanded on continuing bail along with the Galway four, to the October date.
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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.
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
