Headford Road business vandalised
On Monday June 22 between 6.45pm and 6.55pm a business premises was vandalised by graffiti on the Headford Road.
Anyone who may have information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091-538000.
Car damaged in Tirellan Heights
Between 11pm on Wednesday June 24 and 8.40am on Thursday June 25, a 04 G green Skoda Octivia was damaged at Tirellan Heights, Headford Road.
Anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious around these times or anyone who may have any other information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091-538000.
Car vandalised in Ballybrit
Between 7pm on Thursday June 25 and 10.00am on Friday June 26, an 11 G grey Peugeot 207 was vandalised at Ballybrit Crescent, Ballybrit.
Anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious around these times or anyone who may have any other information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091-538000.
Car damaged in Ballybane
Between 7pm on Sunday June 28 and 7am on Monday June 29 a 131 CE silver Nissan Note was damaged at Ballybane, Galway.
Anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious around these times or anyone who may have any other information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091-538000.
Councillors agree multi-million loan to change county's lights
More than 11,000 street light bulbs will be replaced throughout the county after members of the Galway County Council agreed to raise a loan of €6.2 million on Monday at GMIT.
The loan which is to be paid back over 15 years at an estimated €480,000 per annum, will finance the implementation of the National Energy Efficient Public Lighting Retrofit Project in the county, which will see some 11,395 existing lanterns replaced with LED units.
Director of services Jim Cullen told the chamber the project had an estimated timeframe of two years for delivery and that it was hoped the potential combined savings in energy and maintenance would be up to 50 per cent.
Independent councillor Declan Geraghty questioned from where the €6 million was coming and said it would be unfair if the business community had to see an increase in rates.
Loughrea area councillor Mogie Maher expressed concern over the authority of the Mayo County Council which will oversee the implementation of the project for the entire North-West region.
He said; "Will we get our fair share in this agreement with Mayo? Will they dictate when the lights go in?"
In response to the councillors' queries, Mr Cullen told the chamber the implementation programme would be driven on the most efficient way for the project and not based on municipal boundaries and the savings achieved in energy and maintenance would be used to help service the loan.
He also added that the programme was only for current locations of existing public lighting and that the predicted cost for maintenance, LED upgrades, and energy costs for the local authority in 2020 was €1,409,000. — Matt Cassidy
Contractor appointed for Galway broadband connection points says Canney
Galway East TD Seán Canney has warmly welcomed the appointment of Vodafone Ireland as the approved contractor to provide retail services for the country’s Broadband Connection Points (BCPs ).
National Broadband Ireland (NBI ) has already surveyed more than 250 BCPs nationwide and installed more than 65 of these with internet connection points.
Vodafone will provide and install the end user equipment.
Deputy Canney said; “The need for high-speed broadband has never been highlighted so acutely as in the current Covid-19 crisis. The dependency on quality broadband services for people of all ages for work, education, and leisure is there for all to see. It vindicates our decision last autumn to sign the contract for the National Broadband Plan (NBP ) despite political opposition in some quarters.
“The BCPs will be a jump start for high-speed connectivity and will service remote areas while the NBP is being rolled out. Galway’s BCPs include Leitrim Community Centre, Kylebrack, Cortoon Lavally Community Centre, the Old Secondary School, Glenamaddy, Comhar Chuigéal Teo, Lettermullan, the Community Development Office, Inishbofin, Comhar na Noileán, Inir Oirr, Killeany, Inis Mór, and Oifig Phoist Shraith Salach, Lissoughter. Local authority broadband officers are seeking to identify further connection points around the country, including more for Galway.
“I strongly encourage local communities to grasp the opportunity to make sure that the connection points are used to their best advantage. The BCPs are a springboard for remote working, digital skills training and online study. The first of approximately 300 BCPs will be fully connected in the weeks ahead. Two hundred BCPs will be connected by the end of the year with a further 100 connected early in the New Year.
“The connection points are typically located at publicly accessible buildings, such as community centres and sports clubs.
