Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not part of the alliance.

Galway deserves better than this. Galway is a medieval city, with the first mayor appointed back in 1485, Mr. Peirce Lynch. If this Bill is railroaded through this House and the merger of the two local authorities goes ahead, we will lose our status and the mayoral position. A mayor is one of the most important positions that a city can have and the mayoral position in Galway is truly historic. When important visitors come to Galway, including prospective investors brought to the county by the IDA, they always meet the mayor. How will it be possible to have a chairman of a super local authority with up to 57 members, as well as a municipal district of Galway city and a mayor for the city? That is not going to work. It is not working in Limerick or Waterford. This is my fear with the Bill and I will find it difficult to support.

The Bill makes no reference to the crucial issues of funding or staffing, which will directly impact on the success or failure of any amalgamation of Galway city and county councils. In October 2017, I spoke at length in this Chamber about the need for adequate funding for both councils prior to an amalgamation taking place and my view on this matter has not changed. The second interim report of the expert advisory group on local government arrangements in Galway, produced in April this year, concluded that “the establishment of an amalgamated Authority combining Galway City Council and Galway County Council, would maximise the potential of the region to maintain, secure and grow a sustainable economic base into the future.” However the report also concluded that the amalgamation of the councils "must be preceded by the addressing of the existing deficiency in respect of both the human and financial resources available". In 2018, Galway City Council had a budget of €994 per person, down from €1,312 in 2008, while Galway County Council had a budget of €626 per person, down from €1,004 in 2008. An amalgamated authority would have a budget of €738per capita, which compares poorly with the €1,000 per capitaavailable in other comparable local authorities.

Galway had 740 whole-time equivalent staff members at the end of 2015, while Mayo had 928; Kerry, 1,063; Donegal, 851; and Tipperary, 975. I have read this data into the record of the House previously. Galway is the second largest county in Ireland. In 2016, the budget in Galway was €104 million while it was €125 million in Mayo; €124 million in Kerry; €132 million in Donegal; and €135 million in Tipperary. The situation is bleak, as a combined local authority in Galway would have a total staffing level of 4.5 staff per 1,000 population. The comparative figure for other previously merged authorities is between 5.5 and 6.7 staff per 1,000 population. Only two directors of services employed by Galway County Council are in permanent posts; the rest are acting in their posts, including the chief executive. The latter has been acting for the past three or four years. How can a local authority be run properly with so many people in acting positions? This does not just apply to directors but to all grades of staff. I know of one person who worked in the Connemara region for ten years in an acting position before he retired. That is not acceptable. These funding and staff deficits must be addressed before we proceed further.

It is clear that the ongoing budget shortfall in Galway is having a direct impact on services and staff morale. Of the seven main personnel in Galway County Council at present, five are in acting roles, as permanent positions cannot be filled due to uncertainty. As a result, major decisions cannot be made. The county council’s planning office has just half the staffing level of Mayo County Council's but, as of May 2017, it was processing double the number of planning applications. There is no local authority housing construction unit in the council due to an erosion of funding over the past number of years. This lack of funding has contributed to a housing crisis, a lack of critical infrastructure, planning delays and difficulties, minimal repair and maintenance of local roads and a host of other problems.

Over the past number of months I have spoken about the proposed amalgamation of Galway city and county councils with a number of local councillors and senior officials. As Deputy Connolly said, only one councillor is in favour of the merger. All other councillors oppose it because will not work. The message from councillors and officials is the same, namely that the funding issues must be resolved first. If this is not done, not only will it be detrimental to services but it will also affect the working relationship in the new amalgamated authority as councillors feel that they will be competing with each other for funding.

Galway is a unique county, with a big city as well as rural and sparsely populated areas. Connemara and the areas stretching from Glenamaddy to Portumna are so different. There is a wealth of history in the city itself, with Christopher Columbus numbered among visitors in the past. Galway City Council currently collects significant revenue through business rates and funds services differently from the county council.

Understandably, concerns exist within the city that revenue collected through rates will fund services that will be of no benefit to rate payers. The only way to address this concern is to address the funding. Galway is the largest county and city in the west of Ireland. The expert group rightly points out that it has the capacity to be a driver of regional development, to avail of opportunities for enhanced economic development through the national planning framework and the capital programme and to provide regional and national leadership at political and executive level. I agree with those sentiments. There is merit in strategic planning and economies of scale for shared services, but this amalgamation and this Bill should not be passed under the current funding model.

I will not be supporting the Bill as it is brought forward today. Galway deserves far more. I will work with my colleague, Deputy Connolly, to table an amendment that the merger of Galway city and county councils be removed from the Bill. The Bill is about the expansion of Cork County Council. For one section of it to deal with the appointment of a new chief executive to oversee the merger of Galway city and county councils is disrespectful to the people of Galway city and county and its elected councillors. If the Bill is to be enacted, we must be given a guarantee in the House that Galway city will not lose its mayoral status and that adequate funding will be put in place for the merger. It seems that a deal has been done on this section of the Bill, there will not be enough Members to vote it down and it will be enacted before the end of the year. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, and the Government to ensure Galway city does not lose its mayoral status and that sufficient funding is available for the merger to be done properly.

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