Connacht Tribune
Still waiting on pier repairs – three years after funding approval
A crucial Inishbofin pier destroyed in storms five years ago has still not even been assessed for repair – even though €90,000 funding was approved for a survey in 2015.
Project coordinator of the Inishbofin Development Company, Simon Murray, acknowledges that repairs to some of the damage caused by the severe storms of December 2013 and January 2014 on the south of the island was carried out under the emergency funding granted at the time.
However, there were significant gaps in the repairs on that side of the island that have yet to be completed. Back then he was urging Galway County Council to carry them out while engineers were on site to avoid escalating costs further.
Locals carried out their own repairs to North Beach, a stony cobble beach between Lough Boffin and Northside Bay which split in two.
The storm water cut a deep trench cut into it allowing the sea to merge into the lake and spill onto the road, cutting off nine houses and flooding one.
As Council workers were stretched in the aftermath of those devastating storms, they decided to act before nature could wreak further havoc.
The Council also did not repair the East End pier built in 1890 which acts as a breakwater to prevent flooding to the 20 homes located here. It was all but demolished by the fierce stormwaters.
“This is a tidal pier used by fishermen but it’s more important as a breakwater for the whole area. Right now, there’s nothing to stop the houses here flooding. We’ve had a few hairy moments over the last few years when big tides and high winds have combined but we’ve been lucky that the wind was coming in the wrong direction,” explained Simon.
Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West Éamon Ó Cuív said it has now emerged that €90,000 was approved in 2015 for a coastal erosion and flood risk management study that was never carried out.
In a reply to his parliamentary question, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Pascal Donohue confirmed that Galway County Council received €1.64 million to repair the storm damage and its programme of works included locations on Inishbofin at the east end and south face shore.
“All funds have now been disbursed to the Council in relation to this programme and I am advised that the Council has undertaken the works on Inishbofin at a total cost of €301,000.
“I have been advised that the OPW approved funding of €90,000 in 2015 under its minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme to Galway County Council for a comprehensive coastal erosion and flood risk management study for Inishbofin Island as a whole, including the issues of concern at the East End Pier.”
Deputy Ó Cuív said the study was essential in assessing whether to rebuild or replace the pier completely.
“The East End Pier provides vital protection to houses in the area and is also needed by local fishermen”, said Deputy Ó Cuív.
“Based on the reply I received from Minister Donohoe, it would appear that Galway County Council has not completed this study or submitted any results of the study to the OPW. This delay is disappointing and I will be pressing that the matter will now be addressed as a matter of urgency”.
At a meeting of the Galway County Council Islands Committee – which met in September after a gap of ten years – Simon raised the issue of the pier.
A lack of resources was the reason given for the study not being carried out.
“We understand that a survey needs to be done so that a cost estimate can be drawn up and a tendering package produced. We would really like this to happen now and not put on the long finger anymore,” he stated.
“After all, islands are a serious economic driver for the county.”
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.
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
