Bus Éireann adds capacity to Gort - Galway bus service
Local Fine Gael Deputy Ciaran Cannon has welcomed additional capacity on the Gort to Galway early morning bus service.
An additional bus will now serve Route 434 commencing in Gort at 7.30am and serving Ardrahan, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and Oranmore.
“I’m grateful to Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority for approving this additional capacity on what is a very busy route.
In recent weeks the existing bus was already full when leaving Gort and passengers at subsequent stops were left without a service.
“Along with our very helpful local Bus Éireann manager, I made a case to the National Transport Authority for additional funding so that this service could be enhanced to serve the needs of all passengers.
“The additional bus commenced service this week”, said Deputy Cannon.
“We will now have two buses leaving Gort at 7.30am each day and this should be sufficient to accommodate all passengers.
“The public are willing to use public transport when they are provided with a reliable and affordable service.
“There’s no question about that. We now need to continue adding capacity and flexibility to all of our local bus routes, particularly those connecting Galway city to all of our county towns.
We still have a lot of work to do to make the service the very best it can be”, concluded Deputy Cannon.
City Rate Payers need to engage with Tailte Eireann
City councillor Niall Mc Nelis has called on local businesses to engage with Tailte Eireann in order to make their case for a fair rates valuation.
“This week from the 15th of September Valuation certificates that will be accompanied by an explanatory letter and information leaflet will be issued to 32,929 ratepayers across the City.
“The valuation list will also be published on Tailte Eireann website (Tailte Eireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Providing a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State, the agency was formed by the merger of the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland,” he said.
There will be changes to commercial rates in the City, looking at what has happened in the past revaluation outcomes there is normally a 66% decrease but there will be a 30% increase, the rest no change.
To date very few businesses have engaged with the process.
This will be the last chance to engage where ratepayers will be able to attend a walk in clinic first week in October.
After that it will involve a valuation tribunal where there is a statutory fee and a formal and quasi judicial process.
If that is not successful for both parties, there will be appeals to the higher courts.
To date fewer than 400 businesses have engaged, maybe because many missed it when it started during the lockdown.
Galway City collects over €40million in commercial rates each year and it is the largest contributor to the budget of the running of the City.
It also highlights why it is so important to support local business, shop local, socialise in the City and recognise how all commercial operations support the cleaning of streets, grass cutting, community grants, supporting the arts and festivals.
