Údaras na Gaeltachta is to invest in a new company structure aimed a strengthening the Salmon Farming industry in Connemara. The new structure is being seen as a very big change in the way the industry functions on the Connemara coast and companies that have been in existence for over twenty years are set to give up much of their independence and corne under one management umbrella.

However, it is hoped that this change wiIl boost the amount of tonnage of salmon produced in Connernara and, also, increase the number of jobs. The plan is based on proposal's put forward by Peter Quinn, businessman and former GAA President, who carried out a study of the salmon farming industry for Údarás na Gaeltachta.

"We must make this work," said Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig, a member of the Údará s na Gaeltachta Board. "Salmon farming has gone down a lot and that has badly affected communities in south and west Connemara. The Udarás at both Board and Executive level has now taken a big step and everything must be donc to make sure that it works weIl."

Sources in the Salmon Farming industry in Connemara say that the nuts and boits of this new structure have to be worked on. "h is a very big change for us," one source in the industry says. "Yes, it wiII mean that we wilI lose much of our own independence, but if it makes the industry more successful, it wiII be wortb it".

Salmon Farming, once seen as a gateway to a better future in many coastal areas in Connemara, has been bit he crisis after crisis over the years.

This year, only about 2,000 tons of salmon wiII be produced in the bays of Connemara. Even though the industry had already gone down badly, yet 5,000 tons was being produced in 2003. The number of people working in the industry, both part time and fuit time has gone down from 230 to 130 in the last two years, but the decline started long before that. In 1990 over 170 people were working in Salmon Farming in the Carna and Cill Chiaráin area wbere the industry got of the ground. Now, that is down to less than 50.

"Following outbreaks of disease and poor prices on the markets in the past 3/4 years, the banks would not ionger put money into the industry. Udará s na Gaeitacbt then moved in to put together a financial package where Salmon Farmers could get loans. Now, a further € 0.5m is being put into another company that wilI provide some cash for revamping the industry. It is boped that production can be brought back up to 5,300 tons by 2007.

A group from the Cama/Cill Chiará in area met a representative of the Tanáiste and Minister for Health un Galway on Monday of this week un connection with a request for more support for the local doctors. The meeting was organised by Noel Grealish, T.D. and he said afterwards that there was a good discussion and he hoped for a good resuit.

The Cama/Cill Chiaráin deputation want the Department of Health to put un "proper support" for the doctors' services and to ensure that the traditional type doctors services remaun in the area. The community bas strongly objected to the WestDOC type service on the basis that it would be totally unsuitable in a large countryside far removed from an acute hospital. The campaign bas been in progress for some years now and a meeting was held with the Tá naiste in Galway two months ago also.

Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig, Dr. Michael Casey and representative from Fóram lorras Aithneach - the Community Fomm in Cama -were present at Iast Monday's meeting.