Our new sewage plant is being built on the Bay on Mutton Island which was originally our lighthouse island but hasn't been in use as a lighthouse for the past 20 years. This project is of great interest to us now and plans are underway to build a causeway out to this island, with the work expected to be completed in about two and a half years. When I was in Galway last July, it seemed to me that the traffic in the City centre had increased dramatically. We have many American companies here such as Digital, Compu and Nortel. We are into medicare in a very big way such as Beckman instruments, as well as refrigeration companies.
Families now have two, three and four cars because the children are all working.
So that increase in traffic is not all visitors. We are a popular tourist centre and the famous Salthill area, is being completely revamped, since receiving a new designation from the government. Lots of new hotels are being built and smaller hotels are being knocked down to make way for apartment blocks. So, I think on your next visit you won't recognize Salthill. We have a huge new hotel going up called Galway Bay on the Prom which is just beyond Leisureland.