Connacht Tribune
Toyota dealerships re-open nationwide from May 18th
Toyota Ireland is pleased to announce that its dealerships will be reopened from May 18th. While the initial focus will be on meeting the needs of customers from a service and repair point of view, in-dealership sales will follow in line with Government guidelines. In the meantime a lot of work has gone into preparing a new online sales process around new and used cars.
With dealerships being closed for the past six weeks, Toyota has had ample time to develop and implement a series of new measures to ensure the safety of all customers and staff, and is now ready to reopen its services facilities in line with government guidance. These measures include:
- Sanitisation stations at all entrances
- 2 metre social distancing markers
- Protective screens for all staff / customer interactions
- Hand sanitisers on all desks
- PPE for staff with masks and gloves available for customers as required
- Full sanitisation for all touch points in cars
- Disposable covers used on seats, steering wheel and gear stick
- Contactless drop-off and pick-up
- Local collection and delivery from home or office can be arranged as required
- Contactless payment
Virtual Sales
For 202, customers who are in the market for a new or used car can avail of Toyota’s new virtual showroom tools which include a range of virtual sales and browsing resources, video interaction with Toyota product experts and unaccompanied test drives. From the safety of their own homes, customers can log on to Toyota.ie to:
- Watch immersive and educational product videos covering the full Toyota range
- Engage in personalised video calls and live chat with Toyota sales executives
- Complete trade in valuations and financing online
- Configure their new car to their own personal preferences using Toyota’s online tool
- Receive personalised proposals and quotes via email, along with finance approval
In terms of the all-important test drives, dealers will be providing new levels of flexibility and will offer unaccompanied test drives, which may be undertaken at the customer’s home.
Steve Tormey CEO, Toyota Ireland said, “Ireland has suffered profound pain at the hands of the Covid-19 and our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the virus. We have seen the true spirit of the Irish come to the fore during this difficult time, led by front line staff and healthcare workers, and supported by every member of the public who have diligently followed government guidance no matter how difficult it has been to do so. As a brand whose mantra is Built for a Better World, we have been trying to be as helpful as possible, and are proud to have been able to play our own small part through the free provision of our YUKO car share service to hospital workers and providing cars to the HSE. We continue to be at the disposal of front line workers and urge anyone who needs mobility assistance to get in touch.
“As the curve is flattening, we now need to look at rebuilding Irish society and our economy and find ways to embrace this new normal. From the day that we closed dealerships in line with HSE and Government advice we have been working on a plan to enable us to reopen in a manner that would ensure safety for customers and staff, and are happy to report that we have now put all the requirements in place to be able to operate social distancing while still providing the high level of service Toyota is renowned for. From May 18th we welcome customers who have car servicing requirements to our dealerships.”
An overview video of all of Toyota’s new safety measures is available to view at: https://youtu.be/QT029yDV1sE
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
