Connacht Tribune
State subvention saves the day as Galway County Council passes budget
A last-minute Government subvention of €2.75 million has enabled Galway County Council to ‘balance the books’ in their budget for 2023 without any increase in Local Property Tax (LPT) or in rates.
Councillors voted to approve the almost €158 million budget for the local authority in the coming year with spending increases approved across a number of areas, according to Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Moegie Maher (FG).
Cllr. Maher paid a special thanks to councillors, Oireachtas members and Council officials who had made the case over recent weeks and months for a ‘Galway specific’ extra allocation of funding to be made.
Galway County Council Chief Executive, Jim Cullen, told Monday’s budget meeting in County Hall that there had been an increase in overall central government funding of €14 million for 2023, €12m of which applied to annual payroll costs.
However, he pointed out that an additional allocation of €2.75m was ‘specific to Galway County Council’ but added that the local authority needed additional funding for almost all areas of expenditure.
In a report presented to the meeting by Cllr. Liam Carroll (FG), he outlined that while Budget 2023 for the Council showed an increase of over €14 million (9.8%) as compared to the 2022 figure, there was ‘no getting away from the fact that Galway Co. Council continued to be grossly under-funded’.
Cllr. Carroll said that the 2023 per capita spend [based on head of population] was just €819 for Galway, as compared to €1,354 for Galway City Council; €1,286 for Mayo Co. Council; €1,236 (Kerry); €1,052 (Donegal); €1,056 (Sligo); and €1,191 (Clare).
“With a population of 192,995 [Census ‘21], County Galway County is 55,764 ahead of Mayo; Tipperary (+25,334), Donegal (+26,674), and Kerry (+37,737).
“However, each of those other counties far exceeded the Gross Expenditure Budgets of Galway County Council in 2022. This imbalance must be corrected as a matter of urgency,” said Cllr. Carroll.
He added that only for the late allocation of €2.75m from the Dept. of Local Government, increases in housing maintenance (nearly €484,000 or 31%); almost €484,000 in community/enterprise; economic development (over €429,000) and in street cleaning (+€200,000), would not have been possible.
Cllr. Carroll said that the ‘Galway specific’ extra allocation had also made possible increases in library expenditure, the hiring of lifeguards and for maintenance work on piers and harbours.
Fianna Fail councillor, Ivan Canning, said that even with the extra €2.7m allocation, Galway County Council would not be better off in 2023 than they were this year, due to increasing energy costs and inflation.
Cllr. Gerry Finnerty (FF) said that he would support the budget on the basis of the extra allocation of funding that had been made. “I hope though that every year we won’t have to be going back and knocking on the Minister’s door for last minute funding,” he said.
An amendment to the Council’s 2023 Budget – proposed by Cllr. Joe Byrne (FG) and seconded by Cllr. Timmy Broderick (Ind.) – tabled to avert any increase in rates through 2023, was passed.
The Council Executive had proposed a rates increase of 6%, but Cllr. Byrne’s proposal [carried by 30 votes to 7] contained a four-point provision to avoid that hike.
His proposal included a reduction in the Rate Rebate of €300,000; a reduction in Bad Debt provision of €500,000; an increase in Rent from Houses of over €254,000; an allocation of €300,000 from Rates Compensation; and a transfer of €609,000 from the Council’s capital fund.
Independent North Galway Councillor, Declan Geraghty, said that any increase in rates would be unthinkable in the current economic climate. “Do you realise the pressure that shops and small businesses across towns and villages are under – get real,” said Cllr. Geraghty.
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.
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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.
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
