Galway Bay fm newsroom – Two local independent TDs have been laying out their stalls ahead of the no-confidence vote in the Government this morning.

A number of regional independents voted with the Government in the recent evictions ban vote – and could hold the balance of power this morning.

The Government is expected to survive the confidence vote in the Dáil this morning with the backing of a number of Independent TDs.

TDs Cathal Berry, Matt Shanahan and Denis Naughten have also confirmed they’ll back the coalition arguing an election won’t solve any problems.

There have been sharp exchanges in the Dáil this morning as the motion is being debated.

But speaking to Galway Talks, Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice questions how anyone could support the current Government.

Last week, Deputy Sean Canney voted in support of the Government in return for agreement on a number of proposals in relation to housing.

He says he’ll be voting in support again today, as he doesn’t think collapsing the current Government is the right thing to do.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The jury in the trial of a Portumna farmer accused of murdering his aunt will return to court today for their fourth day of deliberations.

58 year old Michael Scott, of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway denies murdering his 76-year-old aunt by driving over her in an agricultural teleporter.

Mr Scott has pleaded not guilty to murdering Chrissie Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney on April 27th, 2018.

Ms Justice Caroline Biggs previously told the jury that there is no doubt that Mr Scott was the cause of his aunt’s death.

But for a murder verdict the jury must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to kill or cause serious injury to her.

If that is not agreed, then the jury must acquit him of murder, and consider a manslaughter verdict – for this the jury must be satisfied Mr Scott acted in a “grossly negligent” way.

If the prosecution has failed to prove murder or manslaughter to the required standard, Ms Justice Biggs said the jury must acquit.

The trial has heard that Mr Scott was reversing the teleporter across the yard outside Ms Treacy’s home when he felt a “thump”, and then saw Ms Treacy lying on the ground.

He and his aunt shared 140 acres of prime farmland in Derryhiney – He farmed the whole lot but a lease arrangement was in place for her portion of the land.

On the day that Ms Treacy died, Mr Scott was due to get a letter outlining Chrissie’s intention to apply for a single farm payment for her share of the farm.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Scott deliberately ran over his aunt after receiving this letter, while the defence claims it was a tragic farming accident.

Galway Bay fm newsroom – There’s been a fall in house prices across Galway city and county since the start of the year.

In the city, they’ve fallen by €5,000, or one percent, in the first three months of the year, while in the county they fell by just €1,000.

Nationally, the 0.3 percent fall marks the first time there’s been a decrease in prices in a decade, according to the latest Daft.ie House Price Report

The number of homes available to buy at the beginning of March stood at just 13,000 – up 30 per cent on the same date last year but still below the 2019 average of 24,200.

CEO of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers Pat Davitt says the latest figures point to the possibility of prices levelling off.