Galway City Council will be billing the “individual who undertook works” during a recent attempted land grab at a housing estate on the east side of the city.
On Friday, July 11, residents of An Sean Bhaile housing estate in Doughiska were shocked to find that an individual had hired a contractor to dig a trench and start laying the foundation of a wall after 5pm in order to take a section of a public amenity area for the sole use of residents of St Nicholas Park, an adjacent halting site. It was claimed that the residents of St Nicholas Park felt that they had been treated unfairly by the council and that they wanted the piece of land to provide play facilities for their children.
Despite undertakings that works would cease until the following Monday morning council officials were called out again on Saturday as works had continued. The council took 2,000 blocks from the site and boulders were put down to block the area off.
Regarding claims of mistreatment, a council spokesperson said that “they [residents of St Nicholas Park] are not being discriminated against” adding that the playground is for the residents of An Sean Bhaile and St Nicholas Park. She said that the individual had no permission to do the works.
It was confirmed that after seeking legal advice, the “individual who undertook the works will now be billed for the costs incurred by the council”. These costs resulted from the council’s efforts to stop the works and to remedy the damage caused. If the individual fails to pay the bill they could be brought before the courts.
