Angry scenes at Galway County Council meeting over ‘land grab’ by city council

minimary

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/03/27/proposed-transfer-of-key-galway-towns-to-city-council-denounced-as-land-grab/

"The chief executive of Galway County Council has rejected a proposed “land grab” which could see a number of key Galway towns transferred to the management of Galway City Council."

“I don’t know what they [Galway City Council] are trying to achieve. They can’t look after what they have. Every time there is a high tide, they have to put up an inflatable balloon around the Spanish Arch. They need to start looking after their own house first,” said Independent councillor Tomás Ó Curraoin.“This is like the situation when Russia moved into Crimea,” he said."

"Oranmore councillor Liam Carrol (Fianna Fáil) said the recent comments of some city councillors showed a lack of respect for their colleagues in the county.“The message that I want to go out loud and clear from this meeting is for the city council: keep your hands to yourself,” he said."

buzz11

In fighting at the tax payers expense... well done civil servants & elected reps, we'll stay in the dark ages because of ye 🙄

You can see their point. Galway city is a shambles. There must be more roundabouts per head of population than any other city.

thebackbar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410617#Comment_120410617

The city may be a shambles, but the county council isn't better. Tomás Ó Curraoin hasn't a great record when it comes to his own village of Barna, the only time he's been heard from was when he was pushing for a development to be built by the sea there :(

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411746#Comment_120411746

Whats wrong with a development by the sea?

FYI, I was born in Barna.

thebackbar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411792#Comment_120411792

I'm really not sure how relevant it is that you were born in Barna, you can read more about the development beside the sea here if you're interested https://connachttribune.ie/barna-homes-can-be-closer-to-sea/

sgthighway

I think this motion was put in by John Connolly who has strong connections with Barna. He probably sees the low investment from the County Council in his area. It is probably a case of Property Taxes should be somehow ringfenced to where to come from? Other more rural villages suffer too though.

Goes back to the proposal should the two councils be amalgamated?

John is a sound person, a great worker and a lucky one at that. Won the Club Lotto recently :-)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411884#Comment_120411884

I simply meant that I know the area.

You seemed to be against that development and so I was asking what was wrong with the proposal?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120411792#Comment_120411792

Ahh, have ya heard about climate change and risking sea levels.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120410617#Comment_120410617

More that half of the big ones are gone - when's last time ya visited Galway City?

what_traffic

Do we still need two Councils?

Mrs OBumble

Did we ever need two councils?

fergiesfolly

By Irish standards we're a rather large county. There may be a fear that a council for the whole county may become city centric. And considering how badly run the city is, why would the county council want to be subsumed by that.

rustyfrog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120418529#Comment_120418529

I think we do, they should be solving quite different problems. Unfortunately our city council is filled with engineers with only county council experience and mindsets, so we don't see the benefits.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422084#Comment_120422084

I agree that they have been very weak in this area for decades, it's debatable if we need a Galway one, perhaps a Connacht one is what is required?

We do badly need serious reform of Local Government, we have one of the smallest and weakest forms of it in the EU.

Councils here distribute money, they do not collect it - which may not actually be a bad thing the way they are currently setup up. They are really been hollowed out by Central Government. Every decade since rates was abolished in the late 70's shows them getting weaker and weaker.

Waste management - gone to private operators. No Council in the Country had the competency to collect LPT - so Revenue was giving the task instead and Irish Water was set-up as the Councils were also unable for that task.

The only time I ever give money directly to the local Council is (could count on one hand ) is when we park the car in the City Centre.

Geuze

The number of LA has already fallen from 114 to 31.

We already have few LA.

As a result, their average size is large.

France has something like 36,000 LA.

So I don't think we need to abolish more LA.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422670#Comment_120422670

We need to make them more professional with a larger Council area + have full time Councillors or perhaps Regional Assembly members, there would still bea need to bring back a number of small local town Councils that were abolished though IMHO

Homelander

In local news as well this week, they played up the councillor comparing the idea to Russia's seizure of Crimea. Quite a soundbite but silly thing to say.

zell12

Is there a CEO change due in County Hall this year as well?

zell12

Btw who is the next city Mayor?

Wompa1

Both are shite but Galway City Council is the worst in the country, imo.

HerrKapitan

Watch as farm land in those areas get sneakily re-zoned for housing.