Galway City Council dictatorship?

emptybladder

Who in the name of God do the management in the City Council think they are? Were you, like me, one of the people without water over Christmas?

Well, it turns out the Council has known for years that Tonabrucky reservoir is falling apart and did nothing about it, and now they're refusing to acknowledge it because its been highlighted by Padraic Conneely, whom they're boycotting ... for raising concerns over Council disinformation in relation to water problems and likening them to Comical Ali.

Does this story not prove the Council is a dictatorial regime? Failing to acknowledge reality? Comical Ali anyone?

And I read during the week that a meeting on the Galway Development Plan will have to be abandoned because the planners won't deal with Conneely, so a load of submissions and objections won't be dealt with, and a previous draft of the Plan will have to be passed.

Is the Council (I mean the officials) a dictatorship?

Do you think our city should be run directly by the Department bearing in mind all the sh!te we've had to put up with like crypto, Eyre Square and now another water problem that they want to ignore?

Or do you think the Council does a good job?

Major leak at city reservoir causes massive loss of water

January 21, 2011 - 7:15am
Hundreds of thousands of litres wasted due to structural faults


BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

The Minister for the Environment has been asked to seize control of water services in Galway City, following allegations that hundreds of thousands of litres of drinking water are being lost because of structural faults in the Tonabrucky reservoir.
The Galway City Tribune understands that serious leaks have been discovered within ‘cells’ in the floor slabs of the reservoir – which are flooding surrounding lands – and landowners have been complaining for up to four years.
It is believed that contractors were engaged last year to carry out a survey of the reservoir and discovered major leaks in the base of the structure.
When contacted by this newspaper, a City Council spokesperson declined to comment on the issue, as it had been raised by Councillor Padraig Conneely, who is being ‘boycotted’ by the entire workforce of the Council. He added that any questions relating specifically to Tonabrucky should be directed to the County Council.
And a spokesperson for Galway County Council – which is responsible for the Tonabrucky reservoir – failed to return phone calls from this newspaper on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, joint local authority funding has been sought from the Department of the Environment for a new reservoir at Tonabrucky, and the replacement of the ‘rising main’ which pumps treated water from the Terryland treatment plant (which the city operates) to Tonabrucky.
Cllr Padraig Conneely said the capacity of the rising main is inadequate as the infrastructure is obsolete and unable to cope with modern demands.
“Water is leaking from cells in the floor slab and there is a lake forming on the land around it, destroying the land. It’s like quicksand.
“Hundreds of thousands of gallons of treated water have been lost, which is having a major effect on the water supply west of the city. The Council say they are running around fixing leaks, but they are not looking at the big picture.
“I am writing to the Department and the Minister to investigate what’s going on, because they [the Council] are denying locals the basic human right to water. I want the Minister to carry out an entire audit of water services in Galway once and for all, because the issues are not being addressed by the Council.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/17157-major-leak-city-reservoir-causes-massive-loss-water

dolphin city

they are very busy, doing nothing.

biko

I think you need to look up the definition of dictatorship:
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator.

As I understand the article:
The reservoir has cracks.
Funding has been applied for.
Padraig Conneely want to look like a bullied hero two months before election time?

strewthelvis

speaking of the Sh**E seriously what is with the smell of it that hits you in the face everysummer at the top of eyre square and down near lynches again. When will they do something about it? i visit galway every summer and its an embarrasment if nothing else.

emptybladder

biko wrote: »

I think you need to look up the definition of dictatorship:
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator.

Yes, and that individual is the Director of Services to whom the Comical Ali jibe was aimed.

The individual who also circled the wagons and withrew services to said councillor.

The individual whose withdrawal of services will ultimately lead to the abandonment of a meeting on the Development Plan today and next week, meaning the 15 representatives elected by the people will not get their final spoke in, meaning an earlier version of the plan will have to be approved by a person who is only filling in as City Manager, meaning the democratic and legal right of people to express their views on the future of their city is being ignored.

Dictatorship, no?

Padraig Conneely want to look like a bullied hero two months before election time?

He's not on the FG ticket.

Councillor Conneely is one of fifteen councillors - the council doesn't need his agreement on everything.

And as pointed out above - the problem is known and they are looking for funding to fix it.

emptybladder

Deleted User wrote: »

Councillor Conneely is one of fifteen councillors - the council doesn't need his agreement on everything.

If the meeting doesnt go ahead, the councillors lose their powers, and it reverts to the Manager to pass an older version of the Plan.

snubbleste

That article reads like a one-sided view of the issue from Cllr. Conneely's point of view. Bit suprised at the Tribune tbh.
Cllr. Conneely should apologise to the Council for his behaviour which led to the boycott being put in place and move on.

Sponge Bob

I think Tonabrocky was to be sorted in 2012 along with a new mains out to Moycullen in a county scheme called the "Galway City Western Environs Water Supply Scheme" . Christ knows what the IMF will make of that one. The City was to build a new rising main to Tonabrocky....by 2006 but I have no idea whether it was, honest.

The absurdity is that the City provides water to a County Reservoir that in turn feeds the Western City by gravity along with parts of the County as far as Moyculllen Village.
The problem is literally outside their control

Conneely bashing senior officials is a well known City bloodsport, the officials look merely stupid declaring a "dignity at work" policy jihad against him. He only bashes the senior guys and if you cannot take the heat at that level you should feck off.

Wompa1

Cllr. Conneely is somebody who tries to make himself seem like he's a crusader for the little guy when in actual fact all he does is stir the sh!t. He comes out against the hospitals, the city council and any little hot topic that gets him noticed but doesn't offer anything in the way of actual constructive criticism. He is somebody that is making his living by pulling the wool over peoples eyes.

emptybladder

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Conneely bashing senior officials is a well known City bloodsport, the officials look merely stupid declaring a "dignity at work" policy jihad against him. He only bashes the senior guys and if you cannot take the heat at that level you should feck off.

Couldnt agree more SB. How much are the directors on, 6 figures?

And refusing to answer media queries on such an important issue cos it was conneely that raised it? WTF?

It really is shocking that civil servants can get away with this kind of behaviour.

eagle10

strewthelvis wrote: »

speaking of the Sh**E seriously what is with the smell of it that hits you in the face everysummer at the top of eyre square and down near lynches again. When will they do something about it? i visit galway every summer and its an embarrasment if nothing else.

afaik its the sewers perhaps there is litlle flow of water during the summer months so the sewage smell prevails.

Gcc imo are not doing too bad a job considering it is very hard too keep everyone happy and some people are always hell bent on complaining, however the resevoir situation is one that would concern me.

Everyone in Galway city is relying on water coming from there we need that resource far more than any other provided by gcc imo, so I hope taht if there was any issues with it that they would be addressed and sorted out.

Padraig Conneely seems to be a thorn in a lot of peoples sides. I think you need someone like him in among the rest of them, a cat amongst the pigeons so to speak. I have met him and spoke to him and he seems ok to me. I dont agree with council meetings being abandened because of him on regular basis but I think it is good to have someone there that is not afraid to highlight issues.

dloob

Padraig Conneely seems to love getting his photo taken while pointing at something and looking grim.
I haven't seen as many of those photos recently but I must say the one with the article is fine example of the art form.

Mrs OBumble

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Conneely bashing senior officials is a well known City bloodsport, ... He only bashes the senior guys and if you cannot take the heat at that level you should feck off.

That's not the way I've heard it.

Council staff shouldn't have to put up with bullying at work.

Frankly, I don't understand why ye keep electing him. He's the most ineffectual councillor I've ever seen - except at writing press releases that make him look good.

For a council that's had to deal with the amount of population growth that Galway experienced, I think they do a reasonable job .... except perhaps when it comes to public transport websites

aw

I would agree with Just Mary.

The council have by and large dealt well with the issues that have been thrown at them over the years.
Rome wasn't built in a day and the resevoir issue will be dealt with in time, when funds arrive.

Also, the water issue came to a head during the coldest spell of weather I have ever experienced and by all accounts, the west has experienced in decades. I was without water but bore no ill will given the -18 temperatures we recorded.
Frankly, it was miraculous that more people weren't affected and kudos to the council workers who did repairs where necessary. We spotted a leak behind our building at work and it was repaired the next day.

Also, Padraig Conneely is a terrible politician. Actually, rephrase that, he is very good at politics, ie, getting his face in the papers and talking the talk.
He is a terrible public representative, providing no solutions to any of the problems. Anyone spot him this week in the Advertiser staring into the pothole on Seamus Quirke Road!!???

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I think Tonabrocky was to be sorted in 2012 along with a new mains out to Moycullen in a county scheme called the "Galway City Western Environs Water Supply Scheme" . Christ knows what the IMF will make of that one. The City was to build a new rising main to Tonabrocky....by 2006 but I have no idea whether it was, honest.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/18820-new-reservoir-ease-water-worries-thousands

The new Tonabrocky Reservoir was approved this week. The interceptor sewer to stop sewage from Nuns Island and Dominick St flowing into the canal and corrib was approved last week. This means digging arond Wolfe Tone bridge, hopefully after they fix the road in Westside not all summer

http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterServices/News/MainBody,25806,en.htm

The Corpo have not even DESIGNED the new Tonabrocky reservoir according to that first link so nothing will actually happen this year.