Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Transport Minister is under fire from campaigners over his continued refusal to release the findings of a report on reopening the Western Rail Corridor.

The report was commissioned last year by Irish Rail at a cost of half a million euro to examine if the re-opening of the line between Athenry and Claremorris would be economically viable.

However, the findings have not yet been released – and attempts by campaigners to access it via freedom of information requests have been refused.

They argue the failure to publish the report is preventing progress being made on a long-running campaign to transform the closed railway line into a public greenway.

Campaigner Brendan Quinn argues it’s ‘telling’ that the Green Party has not included the Western Rail Corridor from the list of projects in its election manifesto.

He believes this is because they’re aware it’s not a realistic proposal to reopen the line.

Meanwhile, Galway East Junior Minister Ciaran Cannon says the publication of the report commissioned last year is the first demand he’ll be making to the next Transport Minister.

Fine Gael Minister Cannon says the old Athenry to Claremorris line is the most viable option for a greenway in the region.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway West TD Catherine Connolly has called for the minimum wage to be pushed up to €15 an hour as part of government formation talks with Sinn Féin.

That’s according to the Irish Independent which reports that the Independent TD signed a document along with People Before Profit TDs Bríd Smith and Mick Barry, Rise TD Paul Murphy and Independents Joan Collins and Thomas Pringle – which was submitted to Sinn Féin in an effort to form a left-wing government.

The document includes multiple proposals including restoring the State pension age to 65, introducing free public transport, abolishing third-level fees and property tax, and dropping the Apple tax case.

It also calls for publicly-funded childcare, carbon tax levies for large corporations and ending Direct Provision.

The document was submitted to Sinn Féin in March however, the group of TDs is yet to receive a reply.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Connemara vet has warned dog owners in Rosmuc to be on alert after several dogs were killed by a poisonous chemical in the area, in recent weeks.

Three dogs from one household have died in the last two weeks after they ingested the chemical Trodex – which is manufactured to treat fluke in sheep and cattle.

Trodex is also used, however, to kill foxes that prey on sheep in rural areas according to Clifden Vet Niamh Walsh.

Dog owners are being warned to keep their pets on a short leash and not to allow them to rummage in bushes.

Meanwhile, they are also being advised that the key symptom of Trodex poisoning is heavy panting in dogs, due to overheating.

Vet Niamh Walsh told Galway Talks that incidents of Trodex poisoning often spike at this time of year, as farmers lay down the chemical to protect their herds.

To hear more, tune in to Galway Bay fm on the hour..