Local Notes: Frustration over delay in Ballyhaunis primary care centre
Aontú candidate Paul Lawless, who organised the meeting.
Protests against the abandonment of a health clinic construction project in Ballyhaunis are futile because the issue is a commercial dispute between a developer and builder, according to a resident whose house is directly opposite the site.
Ruairi O’Broin, speaking at a public meeting organised by local election candidate Paul Lawless, said the abandoned Ballyhaunis primary care centre on the Knock Road opposite his home is an “eye sore” but that the nature of its construction means that it is built and owned by a private developer -with the Health Service Executive (HSE) – as a tenant. Pressure on the state agencies “won’t change matters”, said O’Broin, who blamed the public-private partnership approach to building the clinic for the current impasse.
Many of those attending the meeting professed confusion over the ownership structure at the primary care centre.
“I presumed the HSE owned the site and the centre but now I’m told it’s a developer who owns it,” said one man at the meeting in the Community Hall on March 20th.
The Roscommon-based developer behind the project was invited to the meeting, said organiser Paul Lawless, an Aontú candidate in the local elections in June. Lawless collected names at the end of the meeting - attended by 25 people – for the establishment of a local pressure group that will request the HSE show a “greater sense of urgency” to resolve the Ballyhaunis impasse.
Others at the meeting suggested the completion of the centre in itself wasn’t enough to resolve serious inadequacies in local health services. A shortage of general practitioners for a growing population requires more medics, said Anna Trevaskis. Her point was echoed by others at the meeting including Stephen Grogan, manager of the local Family Resource Centre, who pointed out that Ballyhaunis lacks any dental practice.
One of the highlights of an Irish Night on March 16th at the Community Hall was a stirring rendition of ‘Shanagolden’ by John Dave Halasan, a Filipino musician based in Cloonfad.
John Dave, who works as a welder at local machinery maker Agrispread, played his own version of the traditional ballad while joining a range of local musicians at the event in the Community Hall. The song was well received by traditional musicians present for the evening including Connie Gildea, Paddy Joe Tighe and Michael Nolan.
Also performing was Aghamore-based multi-instrumentalist Andrei Cristian Chiujdea, who plays with John Dave Halasan in local multicultural group Le Cairde and in a regular gig at local bar The Clock.
Organised by Ballyhaunis Community Council and Ballyhaunis Language Café to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge, the Irish Night commenced with a screening of short Irish-language films, followed by refreshments and several recitations. Colm Bohan, who teaches a Tuesday evening Irish class at the hall, read a story 'as Gaeilge' for the large audience.
As Spring warms up, and with the calving season in full swing, a local dairy enterprise has resumed its milk sales and plans to add new cream, butter and yoghurt offerings to its range of products this year.
Gleann Buí Farm, run by Sinead Moran and Mick McGrath, sells raw milk directly to the public from a farm shop called the Bainne Barn on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The milk comes from a 12-cow herd of Shorthorn cows.
“Everything is milked, cooled, bottled, separated, churned and cultured on site by ourselves,” explained Sinead Moran.
Aside from on-farm sales, Gleann Buí also supplies a range of independent grocers including Hopkins' Shop in Ballyhaunis and Cafe Rua in Castlebar.
Customers can pre-order milk for farm collections, explained Moran.
“Otherwise, any milk on the top shelf of the fridge is available for sale.”
The couple operate an honesty box at the farm, charging €2.50 cash per litre of milk, and also staff the farm shop on Saturday and Sunday.
A charity assisting migrant workers has recently been assisting several Ballyhaunis-based individuals with queries over their rights.
With Irish employers increasingly reliant on non-EU workers, it is essential that migrants know their rights under the work permit system that allows them come to Ireland, said Neil Bruton at the Migrant Rights Council of Ireland.
He welcomed a recent announcement by the Government to increase the salary thresholds required for new employment permit holders. In some cases, the minimum a worker must be paid (in order for a worker permit to be granted to an employer) has risen from €30,000 to €34,000 per year.
“It's been nearly 10 years since minimum salary levels for permit holders were increased so this increase is long overdue.”
However, noted Mr Bruton, better wages do not solve everything and his organisation wants reforms to legislation to allow workers to change employers more easily once in Ireland.
“As more people are recruited to fill shortages, we need to ensure they are adequately protected from exploitation. To this end, we need better protections for permit holders including the ability to easily change employer should they need to do so. This will enable people to stand up for their rights and challenge poor conditions and exploitative treatment.”
The Government has promised to reform the permit system to allow workers to change employer more easily. An Employment Permits Bill, which will make it easier to change employer, is currently working its way through the Oireachtas.
“The only way to change at present, after 12 months has elapsed, is to make a whole new permit application, including a labour market needs test.”
Workers must also pay €1,000 for a change of employer.
“It is not a realistic option for the vast majority of people,” said Mr Bruton whose office has advised several workers in Ballyhaunis seeking to change workplaces for health reasons.
“Until [the new legislation] is passed and we see the new process implemented we continue to push for this new process of change of employer… Now, more than ever, Ireland needs to show that we value the people being recruited to come to live and work here,” Mr Bruton told this column. “They and all those working in these crucial sectors of our economy such as agriculture, meat processing, restaurants and care work deserve better for the work they do.”
Local postmen are kept busy delivering packages from the Chinese online retailer Temu, which is proving wildly popular among young customers in particular.
Temu sells millions of products at low prices, guaranteeing free shipping to grab more market share. The firm has drawn the ire of conventional retailers across Europe who argue it represents unfair competition given small personal packages are not subject to customs on entry to Ireland or other EU member states.
An Post was chosen by Temu as its delivery service in Ireland, giving the national post network a valuable new source of business. Yet large-ticket items do face customs duty. One Ballyhaunis customer explained: “I ordered a suitcase at a fraction of the price it was advertised for here. But when it arrived in Dublin the Customs just Googled the product and taxed it based on the price it was going for here. So, I had to pay over €100 to get it.”
Another local Temu customer explained that small items for personal use and under €20 in declared value are not subject to Customs charges.
“I have never been charged but I always keep my orders to under €20,” he said.
Courses in needlework and furniture restoration are coming to the Community Hall later this spring. The two courses will be run by Ballyhaunis Community Council with a grant from the Community Education Fund at Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education Training Board (MSLETB). The needlework programme will assist locals in mending clothes while the furniture restoration classes aim to reduce waste by helping locals to re-upholster and adapt old furniture pieces.
The Community Council has, in recent years, run popular gardening and sewing classes with the fund which is intended to increase training opportunities in local communities. Queries can be directed to ballyhauniscommunitycouncil@gmail.com.
Aghamore GAA and Aghamore LGFA clubs are undertaking a major fund-raising initiative to build new dressing rooms and upgrade facilities at their grounds. In conjunction with this drive, a Lip Sync event is being organised in the McWilliam Park Hotel on Saturday, November 16th.
The organisers say: “Interested artists, wannabe rock stars and anyone curious about Lip Sync are invited to an information evening which takes place in Aghamore Community Centre (F35AT21) on Thursday, April 11th, at 8pm. Representatives from Lypsync Battles will be available to outline the process and answer all your questions.”
Congratulations to Maureen Durkan, Classaroe winner of €440 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on March 18th on an envelope sold in Valerie's Salon.
