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NUI Galway allays asbestos fears on campus

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NUI Galway has allayed fears of an asbestos problem on campus after confirmation that the highly toxic substance had been removed from the campus on thirteen separate occasions between March 2010 and June 2014.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that asbestos was found and removed from locations like the iconic Quadrangle building, Nuns Island and the Fisheries Field.

Twelve out of the thirteen findings were in relation to refurbishments to existing buildings ranging from removal of windows to refurbishment of roofs. The other involved a building due for demolition.

The University stated that “the asbestos was safely removed in accordance with The Safety Health & Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 and the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations, 2006.”

They went onto say that the asbestos posed no danger to staff and students alike present on campus during its removal.

“Most of the asbestos removed was external to the buildings and was in the form of asbestos cement products on roofs or wall cladding. These were all carefully removed, strictly avoiding the use of any cutting or grinding of the cement products.

“All of the asbestos cement products were double wrapped in polythene and disposed of through licensed contractors” said a University spokesperson.

The contractors who were tasked with safely removing the asbestos from across the campus were John Higgins Builder & Contractor, John McNamara & Sons Ltd, Carey Development Ltd, Purcell Construction Ltd and JSL Group Ltd.

In relation to asbestos being found internally within buildings, the University were unequivocal “where asbestos was removed internally the areas were sealed off from students and staff in accordance with best practice. Airborne asbestos monitoring was also carried out for NUIG by Environmental Air Monitoring Specialists during and after the removal process.”

All these safety precautions mean that there was little or no risk of exposure to anyone on campus during that time.

The University stressed that there was a plan of action which was followed to safely remove the asbestos.

“The contractors removing the materials were working to a plan of work, wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment for the work, under the direction and supervision of a Project Supervisor Design Process and Project Supervisor Construction Stage and in accordance with best practice.”

While no students or staff members were put in any danger during the removal of the asbestos, the University have admitted the potential for more asbestos to be found on campus.

“In a campus with buildings ranging up to 170 years old, that potential exists [for more asbestos to be present on campus]. Arrangements for planning works on the university campus take account of the associated need for due diligence around this issue.”

The University’s policy of dealing with asbestos has been thorough in complying with their statutory obligations through “risk assessments and building surveys by specialists. The information is collated in an Asbestos Register which records details of known asbestos, an assessment of its condition, and, where removal is not currently required, what controls are in place to avoid exposure.”

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, made up of long thin fibres, which can be dangerous if they are inhaled as dust. They contribute to increased risk of lung cancer, scarring of the lung tissue, and mesothelioma – cancer of the lining of the chest and the lining of the abdominal cavity.

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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