Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In Galway, funding is the key issue. The budget for Galway was not passed last Monday when it was supposed to have been. This was because the council does not have the funds to pass the budget and it is not the first year but the third year it has found itself in this position. None of us is against a plebiscite but the lack of trust among all the sitting councillors in Galway is unbelievable. The further one goes away from the city and into the rural communities, the more one feels aghast at the disparity between city and county. The fact that this has found its way in with Cork has increased the distrust. I attended all the meetings around the merger and the report stated at the outset that funding was required so I am here to say, "Show us the money". This comes at a price and this is what councillors are looking for. I am representing them as their voice.