Calls for Galway City Council to have its status upgraded from the bottom rung of local authorities will not translate into improved financial support, according to the Minister of State with special responsibility for Local Government, John Cummins TD.
Responding to questions from Moycullen-based Senator Seán Kyne, speaking in the Seanad this week, Minister Cummins said upgrading Galway city’s local authority from the lowest national grading it currently holds – Tier 5 – to Tier 4 status, which Galway County Council enjoys, would not increase the €93.3 million block grant his office allocated to City Hall in 2024.
“A simple reclassification would not have any effect or funding impact,” said Cummins, in response to an impassioned plea from Kyne, who spelled out several statistics highlighting how Galway city’s permanent and transient population, and its regional importance, means its local authority needs more resources to serve a hinterland of over 500,000 people, plus 2,000,000 tourists annually.
Senator Kyne (FG ) said Galway is “short changed” by its current status, despite being a regional capital of 90,000 inhabitants. Including workers from County Galway, its permanent daily city population is more likely to be 130,000 persons, plus 30,000 students resident during term.
“Galway’s four hospitals care for thousands of patients daily from as far as Donegal, Kyne told the Seanad. “Its colleges educate successive generations, yet it is treated as the smallest of local authorities.”
Kyne outlined Galway’s international importance for medical device technology, its experience of daily traffic gridlock, and a dearth of infrastructure necessary for public and private housing. “Yet, minister, it is funded with no recognition of its achievements. We need [money] to create a sustainable, living city, and yet we are funded at the lowest level.”
In response, Minister Cummins said there was no tiered funding militating against Galway, and that his department had increased funding for Galway City Council from €69.6m in 2022, to €79.8m in 2023, and €93.3m last year.
Kyne’s parliamentary party colleague noted that Galway city received a €1.5m annual boost since 2023, linked to how much Local Property Tax (LPT ) the exchequer returned to it annually, based on adjustments to official calculations, and that Galway city’s councillors’ decision to increase LPT rates this year should result in a further €1.4m of income.
At a Galway City Council budget meeting in December 2024, senior city officials calculated that an upgrade from Tier 5 to Tier 4 would net the local authority an extra €8.52m in central government funding per year, or €42.6 million over a five-year council term. This change would push State funding of City Hall over €100m per annum.
It currently costs Galway City Council more than €120m to run its services each year, excluding interest on loan repayments.
Cabinet conversations
In response to questions from the Advertiser in June, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Minister for Environment Darragh O’Brien, and Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne, had to weigh up the demands of all 31 local councils for funding in cabinet discussions. “But I’ve heard the Galway argument; it’s a strong argument, and I think it is something we can work with,” he said.
Speaking to the Advertiser this week, Minister Noel Grealish (Ind ), TD for Galway West, said he and his Galway East colleague, Minister Sean Canney TD (Ind ), were intent on convincing their cabinet colleagues that Galway city needs increased government support. He said most of this support needs to be financial, for an underfunded city council.
“It’s simply ridiculous that Galway [city] is funded in the same bracket as Leitrim. There has to be recognition that to deliver essentials, especially housing, Galway must be treated be on a par with cities of equal rank,” he said.
Asked if he was confident that Galwegian voices in cabinet, including that of Galway West’s Hildegarde Naughton (FG ), could convince senior ministers of the merits of a tier status change, he responded: “They’ll have no choice.”
Funded by Coimisiún na Meán’s Local Democracy scheme.
