Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As my colleague said, something does not add up here. It is clear when one looks at counties by size and population that Galway is not getting its fair share. As I said, it is the second largest county in Ireland. We have reached crisis point in Galway and we need the Government to act. It is not good enough to say the council could have increased local property tax or raised revenue through increased commercial rates. We are looking at the amount of money given across all local authorities and there is a clear discrepancy in the funding available to Galway County Council. It is not good enough to say it can raise money elsewhere. We are looking at the exact figure the council is getting from central Government and there is a problem.

There is a problem in the area of staff, particularly outdoor staff. That has a considerable impact across County Galway. I see it in Ballinasloe when it comes to the maintenance of roads or houses. There is a big issue in that regard. The Minister of State did not mention staff. The council also has an acting chief executive. It is interesting that chief executives are replaced almost immediately in neighbouring counties while Galway is left with an acting chief executive. It is not good enough and we need action.

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