Green Party councillor Martina O’Connor has said that residents in the Kiltulla area had voiced complaints to Green Party headquarters about her support for providing culturally appropriate homes for Travellers.
Cllr O’Connor said that that is inclined to believe that the fire was coincidental and that the fire was related to the campaign to use the house for social housing of a Traveller family.
“I am devastated to hear of the fire that occurred at a house purchased by Galway City Council. This house was bought with the intention of housing a family who are on the Galway City Housing list but expressed a desire to live outside the city.
“The family currently live in an overcrowded situation that would humble any citizen if we visited, and it is physically in the countryside though managed by City Council. Acquiring a larger house, which this family need, was undertaken and repairs were imminent to bring the house up to City Council standard,” she said.
Campaign against family was underway
She said that she had received many emails from residents in the area who were opposed to the purchase of the house by the City Council.
“A campaign against housing this family in Kiltulla was underway, indeed I have received a number of emails from local residents who had many concerns re potential falling house prices in their area antisocial behaviour, etc.
'This family have endured so much, their dream of a home is further away than ever'
“This group managed to secure a motion at Galway County Council preventing Galway City Council buying property outside its operational area in future, the legality of which is controversial. As a member myself of The Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee my aim of supporting Traveller families to have culturally appropriate homes brought complaints from the Kiltullagh group to Green Party headquarters about me,” she said.
“The family that this house is intended for have firstly suffered the indignity of knowing they are not wanted in Kiltullagh, and now face further delay due to this fire. I am inclined to believe that the two circumstances are unrelated and the fire is coincidental but nevertheless this family have endured so much, their dream of a home is further away than ever,” concluded Cllr O’Connor.
