The delays in the implementation of new speed limits on Galway’s roads led one councillor to label the bureaucracy “bullshit” at this week’s council meeting.
Cllr Tomás Mannion said that the decision of the council to present the new speed limit changes to the previous council at their very last meeting was an insult and “two fingers to us all.
Senior engineer Michael Dolly had told the meeting that that he wished to get their approval on a list of speed limit change son the county’s roads, so that it could be put on public display for a month and implemented before the end of the year.
However, the matter was deferred for a month after new councillors hit out at the fact the roads selected had been chosen by the councillors of the old council and that if approved, one third of the new council would not have even see the list.
Cllr Mannion said that he would not accept this fait accompli by the council officials and that because there are so many change to be made to the list that it would be a waste of time to put it on public display.
“It has been made an executive decision and taken away from the councillors. It has been delayed so long. The amount of bullshit going on in relation to this is unreal
Among those angered by the recommendation to adopt the list was new councillor Tim Broderick who said that he and the other eight new councillors had not had any opportunity to see this list nor had they any chance to make any recommendations to it. “This shows scant regard for the new councillors,” he said.
Cllr Paul Connaughton said that this was the work of the last council and the new members were not going to endorse that, while Jim Cuddy said it should be discussed at area committee level before coming before the council again.
Manager Martina Moloney said that there was no intention on the part of the officials to deceive the councillors and official Michael Owens outlined the consequences if the matter was adopted or deferred.
Cllr Mannion had the last word however, saying that if the funding for this is lost because of delays, the responsibility will be with the officials and not the elected councillors.
