Connacht Tribune
People ‘would be willing to go on dole’ to get a council house
Some people in low-income employment would be willing to go on the dole if it meant that they qualified for a council house, a local authority meeting heard this week.
This was the view expressed by several members of Galway County Council, when it was requested that the criteria for qualifying for a local authority house be relaxed to some degree.
A motion from Cllr Shane Curley (FF) that the income threshold be changed for those applying for social housing received considerable support at the meeting on Monday.
At the moment, the maximum income threshold for a single person is €25,000 or €30,000 for a household.
Some councillors expressed concerns that those who were “in the middle of nowhere” would give up low-paid employment in order to qualify for a house.
Cllr Curley said that in order to be eligible for a Council house, the applicants had a better chance being on social welfare which was not the message that should be sent out.
His motion stated: “Galway County Council calls on the Department of Housing to review the current income thresholds of those applying for social housing.
“The cost of living has drastically increased. For many people in genuine need of social housing, the current income thresholds mean that they are ineligible for a social house.
“This means that they are living in poverty despite doing their best to hold down a low-paying jobs,” Cllr Curley added in his motion.
Speaking on foot of the motion, Cllr Curley said that to discourage people from working in order to get a house was not healthy and could not be condoned.
He was supported by Cllr Jimmy McClearn (FG) who said that there were many on low paid jobs who do not qualify for social housing and believed that the more generous criteria adopted by Galway City Council should be applied.
“It’s hard to believe but by someone giving up a low-paying job they would be financially better off and would qualify for a local authority house.
“The low income threshold that currently applies is putting those on social welfare payments in a much better position than anyone who is on low incomes which is bordering on the ridiculous,” Cllr McClearn added.
According to Cllr Dermot Connolly (SF), there is no incentive for people to get up and go to work anymore given the criteria involved in qualifying for a Council house.
“There is a section of our community who are caught in the middle of nowhere. They are in employment and cannot qualify for social housing but cannot afford a property of their own.
“A lot of them are either living with their parents or in rented accommodation which costs more than a mortgage at the moment,” the Ballinasloe councillor added.
This view was echoed by Cllr Gabe Cronnelly (Ind) who said that rents were astronomical at the moment and even those in employment could not afford them.
He believes that every application for social housing should be determined on its merits as he said that “no two cases are the same”. He added that it should be a matter for the housing department of Galway County Council to rule on.
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.
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.
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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
