Galway Bay fm - News

The number of vacant homes across Galway is still almost 50% higher than the national average. 
That's according to the latest Residential Buildings Report from database firm GeoDirectory. 
The residential vacancy rate in Galway for Q2 of this year was 5.5 percent - compared to a national average of 3.9 percent. 
The lowest vacancy rate in the country is Dublin at 1.3 percent - while the highest is Leitrim at 12 percent. 
CEO of GeoDirectory Dara Keogh says there is a big difference between the east and west of the country:

Ten employees at Boston Scientific are celebrating a milestone achievement this year - they've been with the company since it first opened 30 years ago.
And Chris Benn has been over to the Ballybrit facility to meet with some of those employees.
But first he spoke with Vice President of Operations James Lyons about the importance of their workplace culture.

Local TD Michael Fitzmaurice is very concerned that waiting lists for community healthcare have surged by over 50% in the past five years.
He says the lack of affordable housing is driving young, qualified health service personnel out of the country.
In May, just under 234 thousand people were on waiting lists for assessments or community services.
Roscommon/Galway Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice says this alarming increase is due to systemic failures in healthcare staffing and the housing sector.

Independent TD Sean Canney has welcomed a decision by Waterways Ireland regarding Meelick Weir and Walkway as a tourist destination.
The Weir was constructed and opened to the public in 2020 by Waterways Ireland and is now a very popular destination linking Galway and Offaly across the River Shannon as a walkway.
However, there have been several issues regarding services and accessibility for those with disabilities at the Weir and Walkway that were brought up at a recent meeting as explained by Deputy Canney and he said he looked forward to working with Waterways Ireland in delivering these services.

Galway City Council needs to work a little harder to tackle illegal dumping within the city boundaries.
That's according to Fianna Fail Councillor Alan Cheevers.
He thinks money must be ringfenced in the annual budget to install and maintain CCTV at not just council recycling facilities, but also dumping blackspots.
Councillor Cheevers says dumpers aren't being caught and a fortune is being spent on cleaning up after them.

6 year old Dylan Ryan cycled from Oranmore with his dad Eoin to support Peter on the final stretch of his journey to the Circle of Life garden in Salthill.

A Galway man yesterday completed a five-day 240-kilometer charity cycle for the Irish Kidney Association with a dialysis machine in tow across the country.
Peter Conboy, from Ballygar, began his remarkable Cycle of Life journey at Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin last Wednesday where his wife Liz had been a patient as a teenager.
Liz underwent nightly dialysis before she received a transplant thanks to the decision made by the family of a deceased donor.
Peter's arrival yesterday was greeted by a rapturous reception at the symbolic Circle of Life National Commemorative Garden for Organ Donors in Salthill.
Speaking after his arrival, Peter said that it was a huge team effort and appealed for more people to become organ donors.

MEP Ciaran Mullooly says the European Commission's proposal to reduce the Promotion Budget for agricultural produce is "simply unacceptable".
The European Commision is to reduce the Promotion Budget and 2025 Annual Works Programme for agricultural produce by half.
The Independent Ireland MEP has confirmed he will be proposing an amendment at the next European Parliament Agricultural Committe meeting.

The former leader of the British Labour Party MP Jeremy Corbyn is to visit Galway city this weekend. 
Mr Corbyn will address the annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Event tomorrow at 2pm by the Spanish Arch. 
The now Independent MP for Islington North is also launching a collection of poetry alongside British trade unionist Len McCluskey in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop at 6 tomorrow evening. 
Mr Corbyn and his delegation plan on visiting community projects around the city and will meet with Sinn Féin members while in Galway.
Speaking to John Morley, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West, Mairéad Farrell says the interest in Jeremy Corbyn's visit is huge.

University of Galway researchers have recorded unprecedented levels of shrinkage in the Andean glaciers. 
The research expedition, led by Boston College, is a collaboration with colleges and institutes from all over the world, including the University of Galway. 
The findings show the Andean glaciers have retreated to their lowest level in almost 12,000 years. 
Researchers are using cutting edge technology to measure cosmic radiation to assess how long bedrock has been exposed to the atmosphere. 
University of Galway’s Dr. Gordon Bromley, co-author of the study, says these findings affect people all over the world.