This week on Galway Talks,
We heard the powerful story of Jade McFarlane. She was raped by her friend's father in their home when she was just 19 years of age. ​She bravely waived her anonymity so that she could name her rapist. She came on to the programme this week and shared her story with us
 
We also heard of the situation in Ballybane over the mid-term break. ​A number of stones were thrown at vehicles and buses, some causing injury to the passengers within them. ​There have been calls for better lights in the area and also for stakeholders to come together in the area to tackle this problem head-on. ​We discussed it on the programme with Donal Lynch, community activist in the Ballybane area, but also with FF Cllr. Alan Cheevers.
 
International Protection Applicants and violence directed at them was very much to the fore again this week. ​A lot of commentators are blaming this increase in aggression towards international protection centres on government rhetoric. ​Sai Gujulla is himself an immigrant into this country and said we need to see leadership now rather than diverting blame. Some politicians have been accused of conflating the lacking public services and housing situation with migrants and immigration.
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This week, climate change was very much in the mainstream here in Ireland, across Europe, and the world. ​Environment Ministers agreed on a 90% carbon emissions reduction by 2040, with some loopholes in effect between now and 2035. ​This has been welcomed in many of the green sectors, but there is criticism that it might not have gone far enough, while others say some of these targets are unachievable and may make us anti-competitive. We heard from people in Galway City who gave their thoughts on the climate situation here in Ireland and globally. We got the views of Green Party representative for Galway West for the upcoming by-election, Niall Murphy, and Independent Ireland Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice on the issue with me during the week.