Search Results for 'Catherine Connolly'

Protest works. This is the message of the last number of weeks. Although Insider is uncomfortable with some of the more intimidating displays seen recently, there is no denying that the scale of the anti-water charges protests, the palpable public anger, and the unprecedented display of hostility shown to both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste has chastened the Government.

It was not the bank collapse of 2008, the implosion of the economy, the unforgivable bank guarantee, nor four years of harsh austerity measures which forced the Irish people on to the streets in protest.

The lack of public bins in the city has led to one frustrated councillor admitting that she would flout the law in relation to dog fouling. Independent councillor Catherine Connolly outlined to the chamber how there is not one bin on the walkway between Nimmo’s pier and Grattan Road. ‘’People are expected to carry their dog’s poo all along this route, it is simply too much, it’s dangerous and disgusting, I would not do it,’’ she admitted. Director of services Tom Connell outlined how all bins in the city are now owned by the council. He acknowledged the importance of bins and said the situation was constantly being monitored by the local authority’s litter management unit. ‘’The litter management crew are doing a fantastic job in what is an ever challenging area.’’ Mr Connell said that bins were being replaced but it was a gradual process due to financial costraints. Fine Gael councillor Peter Keane was also irritated about the bin issue. ‘’With Galway being a premmier tourist destination, bins are so important, I am disapointed but not surprised that there is no money available for bins at the moment. As far as I can see there are none at all in the Blackrock area. We simply have to ringfence money for bins,’’ said Councillor Keane. Meanwhile, Councillor Ollie Crow was concerned about bins around Eyre Square and the general condition of the area. The Fianna Fail councillor believes that Eyre Square needs more attention and said the walkway in the middle of the square was in very poor condition. He said it was imperative that litter wardens be employed on Sundays in the run-up to Christmas ‘’They are vitalto have the city running on an effective basis.’’ Tom Connell admitted that Eyre Square needed more work and he said the council was currently assesing the issue.

The bike rental scheme for Galway cannot be successfully administered locally when it is being run by a national body situated on the other side of the country, in Dublin.

Calls to scrap the controversial and publicly mistrusted quango of Irish Water have intensified with one former government TD declaring the body a “fiasco”.

The one thing which has been clear from the outset of the life of the new Galway City Council has been that it will be different from the last couple of chambers.

Sighs of relief could be heard emanating from living rooms, offices and pubs across the country last Wednesday evening as finally after six years of unrelenting misery on Budget days there was some form of relief for hard-pressed citizens. Having endured such negativity in recent years most people would have settled for ‘not being any worse off’ after this Budget but in the end most people probably ended up modestly better off.

Work has been stopped at three proposed docking stations for the city’s rental bike scheme, which councillors repeatedly warned would create problems for local residents.

Wednesday September 17 saw an historic and crucial meeting of the Galway City Council take place with regard to the Local Property Tax. Irish democracy had a great outing and Insider was there to see and report on it.

Water services will go the way of refuse collection in Galway with privatisation a virtual certainty in the near future, Independent city councillor Catherine Connolly has warned.