Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Bill. Regardless of which side of the debate we are on, we should acknowledge that the Minister of State with responsibility for local government, Deputy Phelan, has met us several times to discuss the issue. This compares favourably with has been done by any other Minister and needs to be respected.

The report on Galway was clear in stating funding was the first issue. When we met the Minister of State with his departmental officials, one of the figures went up a little. The deficit in Galway compares to that in most other counties, although not all, is vast. We have a county that is starved of funding. Not only that, we need to consider the turnover. I see it in the county council and the likes of Tuam Municipal District and Ballinasloe. There is high turnover of staff who are moving to other places because the level of starvation of money is ferocious. We have lost good people because of the greater level of certainty of funding in other places. We have to address that issue.

At our meetings the departmental officials discussed the local property tax and how at the end of 2019 there would be more euro in the kitty. A small amount will not resolve the issues in Galway. I am not suggesting the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has to be the financier. There are many sides to it, including road infrastructure and the repair of roads. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, referred to the nature of the coastline of the county, while Deputy Ó Cuív referred to the islands. It must be remembered that Galway is the second biggest county in Ireland.

I have spoken on numerous occasions to the Minister of State about peripheral areas. Many are seriously concerned that they will be left as the forgotten people. Galway has approximately 6,400 km of roads. The budget the local authorities receive is something like 30% or 40% less than what it was in 2008. That is causing difficulty, which is the problem. Since a high proportion of traffic enters Galway, more money will be spent there than on a by-road leading to a few houses. The people living in them feel aggrieved. No matter what way the Minister of State moves forward – I understand he is talking about bringing forward a Bill in the autumn – the first thing he needs to do is show me the money. Second, municipal districts throughout the country need to be in charge of their own destiny. They need to know what budget will be provided. This does not apply only to districts in Galway. We cannot have a situation where district authorities would have their tongues out every year wondering what was to come.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, spoke about the extension of boundaries. We all have to acknowledge that Galway cannot remain stagnant or stay the way it is and I would be the first to say it. It needs infrastructure. In fairness, I know that the outer bypass project is proceeding. For many a year Deputy Connolly has been highlighting the need for public transport services in Galway city. I live 40 miles from Galway, but I can get to Leinster House quicker than to the council buildings in Galway because of traffic congestion. It is a city of culture and heritage, but these difficulties are causing major problems in attracting inward investment. I know that the people who represent Galway city have reservations about the mayor proposal. I do not claim to be an expert on it because when a person lives in the country, he or she does not know as much about it. We have our own mayor on the county council.

I will make one suggestion about the proposal of the Minister of State to extend the boundaries. We must ensure funding is in place for rural areas, including Connemara, Portumna, Ballinasloe and Tuam. We must ensure the areas on the periphery will be looked after. It may be worthwhile looking at extending the boundaries because it is acknowledged that Galway city will grow. There is vast potential that could be realised if the likes of Athenry had a sewerage scheme. Oranmore is filling up well. Galway can only grow in a couple of directions because, obviously, there is the coastline on one side. That debate needs to take place, but I want to be clear on one point: I do not believe the people are against the Minister of State in trying to change things in Galway.

It is a matter of how we change it and how we put the steps of the stairs in place. The funding aspect is crucial for County Galway and the people living in the affected areas.

There has been talk that the Minister of State will introduce a separate Bill for Galway later in the year. It would be worth working with the Deputies across the board - as the Minister of State has done, it must be acknowledged - when the changes are brought in.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, has noted the money that is going into the five municipal districts, whether it is €1 million or €1.2 million. Where does this stand?

The situation in Cork was miles ahead while Galway was thrown in, as it were, near the end. To be fair to all parties, nobody wanted to hold up that process. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne asked whether some people had changed their minds, but to be fair, everyone was very clear. They had the same message that they did not want to hold up the process in Cork which had been ongoing for some time.

For all counties, we should ensure the autonomy of municipal districts and how they operate. We must also be careful about Galway. Whether people like it or not, and I think it is a good thing, it will move out so that other areas such as Oranmore, Bearna and heading out towards Athenry will build up and almost become another part of the city. There is a genuine fear in those rural areas that they be represented and we must look at that. One might have to travel a large distance to find 5,000 people living in a rural area. Proportional representation is very important for those areas to prevent them from being overwhelmed. It might be a solution to extend the boundaries, and the Department might look at whether that is needed.

There is also a question of the number of staff needed by Galway. They are under pressure. Talking to council staff in Tuam or Ballinasloe, there are people coming and going, which is not the ideal situation when trying to provide all the services required in those rural areas.

Once again, I thank the Minister of State for engaging with us. He might not like some of the things that we have said but I want to acknowledge his engagement.

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