City councillors have paved the way for a new hotel or residential development on the site of the derelict Spinnaker House Hotel in Knocknacarra.

A submission by owner Clearwater Ventures Ltd on the Draft City Development Plan 2017-23 requesting a zoning change of the site to ‘R’ (residential) was approved by fifteen councillors present at a meeting of the local authority.

Clearwater is owned by city businessman Francis O’Flaherty, London-based Paul Brennan and a company called Bungalow Investments based in New Jersey.

Mr O’Flaherty is Chief Operating Officer with Declan Ganley’s Rivada Networks, while Bungalow Investments is operated by Michael Higgins from Mayo, who is a real estate financier in the US with the CIBC World Markets investment bank.

The company sought to have the 2.5 acres of land (split into two sites) rezoned from CI (Commercial/Industrial) and RA (recreational Amenity) to R.

The hotel itself and the adjoining florists and hairdressers have CI zoning, while the carpark to the rear is RA.

They asked that if the carpark element could not be rezoned, if the Development Plan could allow it to be considered as ‘open space’ when a planning application is put together.

As well as residential development, ‘R’ zoning can allow for local shops and offices, community buildings, hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs.

City Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath recommended that the hotel and retail units be rezoned, and that the carpark area can contribute to open space provision “only where it is part of an overall high-quality urban design and is restored to natural landscaping and biodiversity”. It cannot be used for carparking purposes in such an instance.

Cllr Declan McDonnell proposed to accept the Chief Executive’s recommendations, which was seconded by Niall McNelis. Fifteen councillors voted in favour, and three were absent.

It’s believed the Spinnaker site was purchased for around €600,000 in 2014.

In 2008, then owner Ronan Lawless was granted permission for a €30 million upmarket boutique hotel with 26 bedrooms and bar and 16 apartments over three and four storeys (plus basement). That planning permission will expire in December 2018.

Earlier plans for a nine-storey pub, leisure centre and 19 apartments were rejected by An Bord Pleanala.

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NUI Galway is hosting an information evening this week for property owners who are interested in renting to students.
The event will provide free advice and information on how a person can earn up to €12,000 tax free, while ensuring a good experience for both the householder and the student.
The university is also providing free advertising for the properties.
The information evening will get underway at 6pm on Thursday in The View at Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI Galway.

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The Galway 2020 team is getting to work following Galway’s designation as European Capital of Culture for the year 2020.
Over the coming weeks, the team will regroup and come up with a county-wide project plan for the next six months.
They’ll also be working with arts and cultural organisations in a bid to secure European funding before the October deadline.
It’s expected the designation will lead to increased employment, more foreign direct investment and greater civic engagement across the city and county.
Galway will receive €15 million in funding from the Department of Arts in 2019, and a further €1.5 million in prize money from Europe.
The group is also hopeful that the win will open up several other funding avenues.
The most significant boost will be in terms of tourism – more than one million extra visitors are expected to flock to Galway in 2020, and the boost is predicted to last into subsequent years

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The Galway Garda Division had one of the highest number of allegations of abuse of authority and neglect of duty last year outside of Dublin.complaints
That’s according to the Garda Ombudsman annual report for 2015.
It shows that 184 allegations were made to GSOC regarding Gardaí in Galway.
Following allegations to the Ombudsman, GSOC then decides on what action, if any, to take – and possible actions include advice, a reduction in pay, cautions and warnings, and fines.
Also during 2015, Gardaí across Galway referred three cases to the Ombudsman.
This happens when a member of the Garda Siochana has been involved in an incident which has led to the death or injury of a person.
Nationally, the Dublin Metropolitan districts received the most complaints last year, followed by the Kilkenny-Carlow district and Galway.
Around 80% of allegations were made by Irish people, 5% of complainants were Polish, a further 5% Indian and 1 percent each were Romanian and Nigerian.

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NUI Galway is to lead a health research board funded project to improve hand hygiene practice.
The three year project will provide theoretical and practical tools to improve compliance in Irish intensive care units.
Patients, nurses, doctors, healthcare providers and regulators are to form part of the study.
Dr. Paul O’Connor is Principle Investigator of the project – he says hand hygiene behaviour is complex

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Concerns have been raised over efforts to promote tourism in East Galway and its surrounding areas.
The matter was raised at this week’s meeting of the local authority where members received a presentation on a tourism strategy for Galway that spans as far as 2025.
Councillors were informed that 3.8 million visitors were recorded along the Wild Atlantic Way last year.
689 kilometres of Galway’s coastline runs through the route.
Tuam area independent councillor Karey McHugh said more needs to be done to promote Tuam and East Galway where there is an extensive range of historical sites.
Oranmore/Athenry Fine Gael councillor Frank Kearney told the meeting that the city and Connemara are getting the largest share of visitors.
He said a strategy is needed to ensure all areas are served to ensure there is some activity in the east of the county.
Councillor Karey McHugh says a lot of work needs to be done to ensure the rest of the county is discovered.

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There’s been a 60 percent drop in the number of patients waiting on trolleys at UHG in the past 12 months.
New figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that in June last year, 670 patients spent time on a trolley at the hospital.
In June this year, that figure was substantially lower, at 261.
The INMO says its members are ‘furious’ this week following a spike in trolley figures in the second week of July.
A comparative analysis of national ward watch data for last week shows an increase of 38% compared to the same week in 2015.
However, figures at UHG and Portiuncula have fallen during that period – despite a total of over 152 patients spending time on a trolley at the hospitals last week.
Today 37 people are waiting on trolleys at UHG today.

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COPE Galway is currently accommodating 33 homeless families including 58 children, and a further 52 single-person households.
The organisation is working with a further 20 families and three single people who are at risk of homelessness.
The charity is describing the government’s new housing plan as ‘ambitious and challenging.’
COPE says it’s critical that the plan is fully implemented to help solve the homelessness problem in Galway.
The Government’s 84 point action plan to deal with the housing crisis encompasses five pillars – to address homelessness; accelerate social housing; build more homes; improve the rental sector and utilise existing housing.
A central focus will involve balancing demand and supply in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.
There’s been a 27% increase in the number of homeless adults in Galway over the past six months.
New figures compiled in June show there are 150 adults homeless in Galway.
City Councillor Mairead Farrell says the crisis shows no sign of abating, and action must be taken.
COPE Galway says the real impact of the new government plan will only be seen over time, and the group is hopeful that it will achieve its aim.

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Two young women living metres apart in Ballinfoile in Galway City are trying to raise money to seek alternative treatment abroad for their terminal cancer.

The devastating stories of Ann Marie McDonagh, 38, and Amy Galvin, 28, has galvanized the tightknit community on the Headford Road to help the women in their quest.

Ann Marie was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 25, mother to four year old Conor and six-month-old Jason.

The hairdresser had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation and was thrilled by the news that her cancer was in remission. However, things came crashing down in 2014.

“The cancer was back, this time in the lungs and it was incurable but 90% treatable.”

Ann Marie stayed on chemotherapy for six months but has sought treatment in clinics which specialise in alternative treatments in Spain and the Netherlands and has noticed a massive change in her condition.

She wants to attend a German clinic where patients are reporting excellent results but it costs €5,000 for a week’s stay.

Amy was just 26, busy studying to be a youth worker and counsellor, when she sought treatment for what she thought were the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome before Christmas 2013.

It turned out to be stage three ovarian Teratoma cancer, which has seen her undergo 34 rounds of chemotherapy.

Amy plans to undergo a resection of her liver and small bowel in a UK hospital, for which medical expenses are covered by the HSE but not aftercare following the procedure.

Friends are organising a fundraiser in the Menlo Park Hotel on Sunday, July 31. Check out their Facebook Page: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – a night for Amy and Ann Marie. For tickets contact 085-283 4907.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Advance bookings for the 2016 Galway Races are slightly up compared with last year, as the city prepares for the annual pilgrimage to Ballybrit.

Michael Moloney, who has succeeded his father John as manager of Galway Racecourse, is reporting strong sales ahead of the bumper weeklong horseracing festival, which goes to post on Monday.

Hotels, the hospitality sector and retailers are all looking forward to another ‘bumper’ week.

In 2015, attendances surpassed the 140,000 mark for the first time since 2011, and Mr Moloney expects similar numbers again this year as the economic recovery takes hold.

“There was a slight increase last year, and we would be happy with that again this year. Advance ticket sales are strong and our hospitality is booked out, except for a few tables at the weekend. Everyone seems to be talking about Galway, ‘are you going to Galway?’ and ‘What day are you going?’. People are happy to spend.

“Website traffic doubled in the last two days when the sun came out. So we’re looking for a slight increase again this year. Anytime you get that many people (around 140,000) at an event, you’d have to be happy,” he said.

The event is estimated to be worth €56 million to the local economy but the horseracing industry relies on it, too.

“Galway accounts for twelve per cent of attendances at racing in Ireland. It’s huge for Galway but it’s huge for the racing industry, and the Tote. If they can have a good Galway, they’ll have a good year,” said Mr Moloney.

Some 800 horses will compete in 52 races over seven days for a total prize pot of €1.9 million, which is up €83,000 on the previous year. All the top trainers and jockeys are targeting Thursday’s €300,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle, the richest national hunt race ever, and the €220,000 Tote.com Galway Plate on Wednesday.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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By Denise McNamara

The designation of Galway as the European City of Culture in 2020 has the potential to create over 18,000 jobs.

Following the euphoria on the streets last Friday on hearing the announcement, the Galway 2020 project team have stressed in a press briefing this week that the massive economic benefits of the title will not just be confined to the tourism sector.

The leader of the business engagement team, Mark O’Donnell, said Galway’s top companies see the designation as a huge opportunity to attract and retain skilled workers, which in turn will attract more multinationals to the region who will generate further jobs.

“…For selling Galway City and Galway County for foreign direct investment, it’s very, very beneficial, for small indigenous producers within the county that are exporting to Europe this will put Galway on the map in a way it hasn’t been before on a global stage,” he insisted.

Project leader Patricia Philbin said all of Galway would benefit from increased opportunities for employment.

“Galway has secured probably the biggest opportunity in its history so there’s a responsibility on us all to make the absolute maximum out of it. It is going to change Galway and it is going to find opportunities for all those young people who are leaving our towns and our cities.”

Galway City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said the experience of other cities has shown that for 55 additional visitors, one extra job is created. At least one million extra visitors are expected to come west in 2020, which translates to 18,181 jobs.

Other cities have reported an increase of between 10 and 25% in tourists in the decade following the designation

“The economic benefits will be long lasting and tangible,” he predicted.

See full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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A Galway couple are scratching their heads at state bureaucracy which will see their young son going to school by bus from September – while his sister has to make her own way to the same school.

Even more bizarrely, another seven children at Clontuskert National School will also lose their bus ride from September, because Department of Education regulations insist you must have at least ten pupils to be entitled to a service.

But the service will still be in place for one boy (and his minder) because he has special needs and is therefore entitled to transportation to school – leaving his sister to find her own way from the same house to the same school!

“You could not make this up if you tried,” declared an outraged Cllr Michael Finnerty of Fine Gael who has been on to the Department to try and resolve the issue that is affecting the pioneering school.

“I am astounded by what I have been told about this particular situation and I can only assume that it is not unique,” Cllr Finnerty added.

School principal Kate Murray outlined her frustration in an email to local councillors, pointing out that they had a bus service for more than ten years which brought children to the school.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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The Office of Public Works is to share information with representative body, Insurance Ireland, about demountable flood defences, when assessing flood risk for homes.
Demountable flood defences are removable, temporary flood barriers that are engineered to offer similar protection to permanent measures.
OPW Junior Minister and Galway East T.D, Seán Canney, says his office will provide information on completed schemes.
In return he has asked Insurance Ireland to provide detailed information on numbers currently with flood insurance in areas where demountable flood defences are in place.
Minister Canney says the commitment from Insurance Ireland will mean flood defences will now be considered by insurance companies.
Meanwhile, the OPW has this week sanctioned a total of over €101,000 in funding for minor flood works across Galway.
Minister Canney says €76,000 will be used for works at Roo, Kinvara.
A further €11,700 will progress channel cleaning and maintenance at Parkacurry, Monivea.
Over €14,000 has been allocated for the extension of a pipe across the N83 at Beagh, Tuam.

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Plans for a major expansion at Galway Clinic have been given the go ahead.
The private hospital at Doughiska will now push ahead with plans for a new A&E and diagnostic and treatment facilities such as cardiac catheter labs.
The extension will also incorporate a new café adjacent to the emergency unit.
City planners have attached 10 conditions.
One stipulates that the developer is to pay the local authority a contribution of over €105,000.
Construction is to be carried out Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and between 9am and 1pm on Saturdays.

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73 new social housing units are to be provided in the city.
The development at Ballyburke (behind Clybaun and Rahoon) has been approved as one of eight sites nationwide in six local authority areas.
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Simon Coveney has approved site locations for over 450 new social housing units, including the development at Ballyburke on the Ballymoneen Road.
These are to be delivered through a public private partnership programme.
The social housing with a capital value of approximately €100 million is being developed at eight sites in co-operation with the local authorities in each area.
Three of the sites are located in County Cork, with one each in the cities of Galway and Waterford.
There are further sites in Clare, Kildare and Roscommon.
The funding is part of a programme of investment totalling €300 million in social housing through the public private partnership model.
The next phase of the project will be announced by the Minister before the end of 2016.

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A father and son have been rescued after getting into difficulty when their kayak capsized in Galway Bay this afternoon.

The pair had departed Traught Beach in North Clare at about 2.30pm and were due to arrive into Kinvara Bay at a designated time.

However their kayak capsized and they ended up in the water. They managed to swim to a boat moored near the entrance to Kinvara Bay where they called out for help.

Lifeguards Mark Buckley and Niall Hanley contacted the Coast Guard shortly after 3pm, as the kayakers were overdue.

The Irish Coastguard requested the assistance of the Rescue Helicopter 115 from Shannon and the Galway Lifeboat from Galway Docks.

The helicopter crew spotted the father and son on the moored boat and alerted Galway lifeboat who took them on board and brought them to the Lifeboat station at Galway Docks where they were assessed.

The man, who is in his 40s, and his 11-yea- old son did not require medical assistance.

Barry Heskin, Galway RNLI Lifeboat Launching Authority, advised people to check the weather conditions before taking to the water.

“It’s important to bring adequate gear and equipment as well and to always let family or friends know departure and arrival times as happened in this case.”

The lifeboat crew on this call out were: Sean King (Helmsman), Dave Badger, Olivia Byrne and John O’Sullivan.

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The bone-density scanning service at Merlin Park Hospital has been extended.
DXA scanning is an important tool in the diagnosis and treatment of bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis.
The facility was currently only operational one morning per week – however, this has now been extended to 2 mornings a week.
There are over 4,600 people on the waiting list for a bone scan.
The HSE says it’s continuing its efforts to recruit a radiographer to provide a full-time service.

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Galway City Council has made an official complaint to Gardaí over the felling of five healthy trees in Salthill Park, which are believed to have been at least sixty years old.

Garda and Council investigations are ongoing into the felling, which is understood to have been carried out by a private contractor on the instructions of a local resident.

It’s understood the local authority will be pursuing a prosecution for criminal damage and illegal felling of trees – the penalty for which can include imprisonment for up to two years.

The Council is also expected to pursue the matter in the civil courts, seeking substantial costs for the damage and the replacement of the trees.

“We are not letting this go,” a Council spokesperson this week, adding that officials are in discussions with their law agents on how to proceed with the case.

He added that the trees had been inspected by an arborist several years ago and were found to be “perfectly fine”.

The resident in question had approached the Council to discuss if the trees could be cut down, but “absolutely no” permission was granted.

It’s understood that the legal title to Salthill Park stipulates that residents of Dalysfort Road have to be consulted on any proposed changes to the park.

Locals were horrified last Saturday morning to find a crew of workmen cutting the trees, which are on the hill at the rear of the park, adjacent to Park Avenue.

Gardaí confirmed a formal complaint had been received from the Council.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune

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Plans for the Galway City outer bypass are to be submitted at the end of the year directly to An Bord Pleanala, while documentation for Compulsory Purchase Orders is also being prepared for homes and land along the route.

The proposed ring road will be a continuation of the M6 motorway at Doughiska and will involve the construction of a new bridge across the Corrib, with the road skirting around Dangan and Glenlo Abbey and eventually hitting the Coast Road at Barna.

The matter was raised at a meeting of Galway County Council this week when it was stated that the €550 million Gort to Tuam motorway premature in the absence of a Galway City outer ring road.

When the new M17/18 motorway is completed, there will be traffic coming into the roundabout at Doughiska from the Gort, Dublin and Tuam directions.

“It will be an absolute nightmare”, declared county councillor Michael ‘Stroke’ Fahy who put down a notice of motion wasking what progress was being made on the Galway outer bypass.

He said that it should proceed as quickly as possible and that its absence was compromising the future viability of the whole county, as the county and city is being “held to ransom”. He added that when the Gort to Tuam motorway was completed, there would be “traffic hell” in the city.

In response to Cllr Fahy, the County Secretary Michael Owens said that work was ongoing on the Galway City Ring Road and that documentation was being prepared along with a process for Compulsory Purchase Orders.

Mr Owens, in a written reply, said that this documentation was programmed to be ready for publication by the end of 2016.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune

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A Galway City councillor and businessman has not declared tens of thousands of euro worth of local authority contracts – despite being obliged to do so.

Pragmatica, the company of Fine Gael’s Pearce Flannery, earned in excess of €146,000 providing training and mentoring services to councils across the country in the past two years.

Cllr Flannery, the city’s Deputy Mayor, like all elected members, is obliged to declare the total amount of the contracts if they exceed €6,348.69 (IR£5,000) or if the aggregate value of several contracts to the same local authority exceeds that amount.

Cllr Flannery said it was his understanding that he only had to declare if one contract to a local authority exceeded €6,348.69 and he was not aware he had to declare if several contracts to the same local authority exceeded that figure.

The West Ward representative, was elected to the Council for the first time in May 2014, and was voted in as deputy mayor last month. He was unsuccessful in a bid to win a seat in Seanad Éireann earlier this year.

The Galway City Tribune has established, using the Freedom of Information Act, that Cllr Flannery, through his company Pragmatica, earned a total of €146,480 from six local authorities, and their Local Enterprise Offices.

The payments relate to 2014 and 2015, and are in return for providing training workshops, courses and mentoring services.

In Section 8 of local authority members’ declaration of interests, councillors are supposed to outline: “Any contract to which you were a party, or were in any other way, directly or indirectly interested for the supply of goods or services to a local authority during the appropriate period, if the value of the goods or services supplied during the period exceeded €6,348.69, or, in case other goods or services were supplied under such a contract to a local authority during that period, if the aggregate of their value exceeded €6,348.69.”

This is a provision in the Local Government Act. Councillors are obliged to fill out reforms each year retrospectively for the 12 months previous.

In his annual declaration to Galway City Council, signed on February 2015, Cllr Flannery, Section 8 was left blank for 2014. It said “N/A”, which stands for ‘not applicable’.

The 2015 declaration, signed in February of this year, under Section 8 said: “I provide business training services and business advice to many of the Local Enterprise Offices nationally. Rarely would one single assignment exceed the figure quoted above (€6,348.69)”.

For more on this story, and the breakdown of payments, see this week’s Galway City Tribune

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