Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_01_17/GA_1701_E1_010.pdf 

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10 N E W S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

January 17 2008

City Hall not confident of Government funding for second Athenry-Galway line
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Pessimism is growing within City Hall that the Government will provide funds to develop a railway line between Athenry and Galway - a move that would be a major setback for park and ride and commuter rail in the county. The Galway City Council recently applied for funding for a number of different projects under the Gateway Innovation Fund. One of the projects was to develop a second railway line from Athenry to Galway. The idea of developing the second line was to increase the frequency of Galway to Dublin rail journeys. More than that it was envisaged that the extra line would allow for the development of a commuter rail service that would serve all areas between Athenry and the city. City Hall was hopeful that it would play a major part in combating traffic congestion in the city by providing alternatives to the car. Providing such a service would allow for the development of park and ride facilities at certain points along the way as well as encouraging people to take the train to work. The application for funding is currently before the Department of Finance and the Department of the Environment. However it is understood that City Hall has been given information this week that the project is unlikely to get approval. This will be a major setback and a great disappointment to the council. If the Government does turn the funding application down, it does not mean the end of the idea. However GIF money would go towards covering a large amount of the costs. Hence the importance of approval.

St Anne's area of Taylor's Hill would be ideal for public park says Lyons
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Lands around the St Anne's area of Taylor's Hill would be the ideal location for a public park for Galway city according to PD Cllr Donal Lyons. The Knocknacarra based councillor's call comes following the property owners recent submission of a planning application for the area which consists of c11.5 acres of land. Cllr Lyons said there is "considerable opposition in the locality to the planning application because of the sheer size of the development". However he feels that if City Hall was able to purchase the site it could then be developed as a public area. As a result, Cllr Lyons has submitted an "Urgent Business" Notice of Motion to the Galway City Council, calling for a public park for the city, to be located in the Taylor's Hill area. Cllr Lyons is calling on City Hall to "immediately enter into discussions" with the Sisters of Mercy Western Province, with a view to purchasing the property known locally as St Anne's - formerly Lenaboy Castle - and the surrounding lands as a future public amenity park for the people of the city.

Deal with sewage Oranmore problems now Healy Eames tells managers
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Sinks and toilets overflowing with sewage in Oranmore have highlighted the need for urgent action to ensure adequate sewage treatment facilities for both Oranmore and Galway city according to Fine Gael Sen Fidelma Healy Eames. Heavy rainfall over the last week or so has caused drains in Oranmore to become blocked and to overflow, leading to raw sewage backing up in yards, toilets, and sinks. According to Sen Healy Eames, the capacity of Oranmore sewerage facility is unable to cope due to a doubling of population and development. She also said the problem occurs because Oranmore is reliant on the city-based Mutton Island plant. "The foul and surface water go through the same pipes so when there is heavy rainfall the Mutton Island plant hits capacity," she said. "This leads to the Oranmore facility having to be turned off which in turn has resulted in the backing up of the sewage in people's homes and businesses in Oranmore." She also pointed out that the emergency tank to deal with overflow in Oranmore is "inadequate" and that overflow will leak into Galway Bay and cause pollution. The situation has led Sen Healy Eames to call on both the Galway city and county councils to work together to ensure that sewage treatment plants in Oranmore and Mutton Island can cope with increasing population and increased development. She wants both the city and county manager to conduct a "full investigation" to identify what is needed for the future needs of Oranmore and Galway city.

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