The left wing coalition which has dominated the Galway City Council for the last five years has seen meetings become “farcical exercises” resulting in “walk outs, adjournments, and sensational newspaper headlines”.
This is the view of Galway West TD Frank Fahey, who said the city needs a council that will “work together in a constructive and co-operative way with the best interests of the city and its residents in mind”.
As well as castigating Labour in his remarks, Dep Fahey also had a go at Fine Gael in his criticisms of the current pact which sees the council controlled by Labour, Fine Gael, and the Greens.
“Mayors from Catherine Connolly to Cllr Padraig Conneely - with the notable exception of Cllr Brian Walsh - have neglected the key role of the chairman of the local authority, which is the role of providing scrutiny and oversight.”
He alleged that this has resulted in “wasteful expenditure on projects such as Eyre Square” and the failure to collect revenue; failure to spend money allocated by Government to provide an adequate water supply prior to the cryptosporidium outbreak; failure to spend more than €2 million in grants for the Ballinfoyle Sports Family Resource; failure to deliver on a sports facility for Knocknacarra; and failure to maintain a good working relationship with council officials and staff.
Dep Fahey also alleged that conflict between council members and City Hall officials have become “commonplace” leading to the neglect of the main business of the council.
“A constantly negative approach has been adopted by some councillors,” he said. “There is no doubt the barrage of criticism of the city manager and his officials have had an impact on their ability to carry out their functions efficiently and effectively.”
