‘Retired’ Galway city tech supplies cash in over €5,000 for Alzheimer’s association
Galway City Council’s IT office has handed over a cheque for €5,500 to the Western Alzheimer’s Association after selling old computers and tech supplies under its innovative ‘reBoot’ scheme.
The programme allows staff to purchase IT equipment that is out of warranty or no longer needed following the shift to remote working, for a nominal fee. Proceeds raised were donated directly to the association.
CEO of Western Alzheimer’s Association, Pat Holmes, said the funds will go towards providing care and support for people living with dementia.
“This will help them continue meaningful lives in their homes and communities,” he explained.
The move to a mobile-focused work environment has also strengthened cybersecurity, reducing the “attack landscape,” according to the council. However, it left more than 350 monitors, desktops and laptops requiring disposal.
“Since Covid, we’ve seen a shift to a more ‘mobile-ready’ workforce, with staff using laptops both in the office and for remote working,” said head of IT, Elaine Naughton. “This allowed us to phase out desktop computers – reducing costs and simplifying device management and maintenance.”
Of the surplus equipment, 70 devices were offered free of charge to local schools in collaboration with the council’s environmental education officer.
Coláiste Éinde was among the schools to benefit. Deputy principal Gareth Callan described the donation as “transformative” for their IT infrastructure, noting that over 800 students interact with technology daily.
“This sustainability initiative has allowed the equipment to be used daily across the school in an environmentally friendly way. As a result, access to other ICT resources has improved for students, and we have been able to redirect funding toward additional hardware to further support teaching and learning,” he added.
Also in receipt was Coláiste na Coirbibe where principal Mícheál Ó Marcahcháin gave a warm “go raibh míle maith agat” for the initiative.
“We have a constant need for more IT hardware and the machines that you donated to our school are in use every day, helping our students develop essential skills for the future.”
The initiative, the first of its kind within the local authority, is being hailed as a model for supporting the circular economy while boosting digital literacy across the city.