Residents of the Kiltulla area where a house allocated for social housing was destroyed in a blaze early on Monday morning, have asked City Council officials to engage in dialogue with them in the aftermath of this week’s incident.
Gardai have said they are investigating the cause of the blaze which gutted the €390,000 house which was purchased by the City Council to be used for social housing, amid much controversy.
County Councillors were aggrieved that the City Council had sought solutions to their housing issues in the county area.
A Traveller family of four had been allocated the home and are said to be devastated by the blaze.
However, some residents from the Kiltulla area have said that the sharpening of tensions caused by the lack of consultation may have led to this week’s event.
They have said that requests to open dialogue with the City Council who purchased the house in the County Council area were met with resistance and hostility and that this intransigence led to the breakdown in relations.
The resident who does not wish to be named told the Advertiser that this week was a “dark day for Kiltulla.”
“As a resident of the Kiltulla area, I am sickened and saddened to see that the house allocated to a Traveller family has been burned down.
“This was not the wish of the majority of the residents and does not represent the feelings of the decent people who utterly condemn the actions taken.
“All the residents have ever asked for was some dialogue with City Council. It is normal for people to be concerned and fearful when a change is forced upon them.
“We asked for opportunities to meet with officials so that we could relay our fears, concerns and expectations for standards of behaviour in the area.
The resident said that each request was met with “aggression and hostility.”
“What would it have cost to talk? The costs of not doing so are evident; a devastated family who were expecting a new home, the costs of repair to the house, emergency services needlessly risking their lives putting out the fire.
“There are no winners in this mess. On top of an already difficult year, where the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on everyone, we are tired and weary of this fight with Galway City Council.
“The City Council has stated that the house will be repaired and the family will move in as soon as possible. When this time comes, l and many others will be happy to welcome this family to the area. “I am pleading with City Council to show some leadership and engage with us to ensure the family can be integrated into the community safely.
“If the Acting Director of Services and Chief Executive do not have the ability or the will to do so, perhaps it is time that they considered their positions,” the resident concluded.
