Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway West TD Mairead Farrell claims the lifting of the eviction ban will be judged the harshest of all the Government’s bad housing policies.

She told the Dáil it stands head and shoulders above all the terrible housing decisions this and the previous Government have made over the past decade.

She told Housing Minister Daragh O’ Brien that the real sticking point is that this decision was made in the full knowledge of the chaos it will cause.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The number of homeless people in emergency accommodation has increased by almost 24 per cent in a year.

There are now almost 11,800 people homeless, including 258 people in County Galway.

According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing 11,742 people, including 3,373 children, now find themselves homeless.

It’s an increase of almost 24 per cent on the same month for last year.

The data, for the week of February 20th-26th, show there were 8,369 adults in emergency accommodation, an increase of 23 per cent on the figure for February last year.

In Dublin, there are 8,588 people, including 2,576 children, living in homelessness.

Meanwhile this month’s figures, when compared to January, remain relatively unchanged.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – A man missing from Loughrea since earlier this week has been found safe and well.

25 year old Shane Walsh was last seen in Portumna on Wednesday 29th March, prompting a Garda appeal.

Gardaí have now confirmed he’s been located safe and well.