Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am just looking at how the Minister came to make his decisions and asking whether this issue was taken on board during that process. The area involved is huge. It has often been said that Connemara is larger than counties such as Leitrim, Roscommon and Louth in terms of population or geographical area. Was that taken into consideration? As the Minister said, the distance from Clifden to Portumna is absolutely massive. It is very hard for the members of Galway County Council to cover such a distance. The city councillors have the advantage of having their remit confined to the area within the environs of the city. It is a genuine issue. We feel that the way Galway County Council is structured means there is a bias towards the east of the county. There is a bias in favour of east Galway when decisions are being made because most of the councillors - 23 of them at present - come from east Galway. The best example I can give in that regard relates to the fire brigade service, which is the subject of much debate at present. As the Minister will be aware, there are seven or eight fire stations in the east of the county, but the station in Clifden is the only one in the west of the county. A strong case has been made to the effect that the traditional structure of the county council is part of the reason for that. There has tended to be a bias towards the east side of the county in the allocation of resources. I know the Minister has looked at all of the options. During his deliberations, did he consider the establishment of a separate county council for Connemara?