Boundaries of Galway City may be extended

Tens of thousands of people living in County Galway in places like Barna, Oranmore and Moycullen, could become ‘city slickers’ overnight.

Government sources have indicated that a review group will be appointed in the coming weeks to examine whether Galway City’s boundary should be extended.

The Government has confirmed an independent panel had been put together in Cork to review the boundary between the city and county – any change could affect up to 80,000 people in Cork County living just outside the city.

The Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly is expected to appoint an independent review group for a similar exercise in Galway in the coming weeks.

It will be chaired by three independent persons and they will report back to the Minister with recommendations. It would be given some months to compile a report.

They will be asked to examine the existing boundaries at the interface between the city and county; look at whether the city boundaries should be extended or left as they are. It may also be asked whether there is a need to merge the city and county councils into one governing authority.

Derek Nolan, Galway West Labour Party TD, said the city and county boundaries were drawn up back to 1970 and are outdated.

He said he was in favour of extending the city boundary to include areas such as Barna, Bushypark and Oranmore. “They are practically in the city as it stands now – it would make more sense if they came under one local authority.

In 2010, when a member of the City Council, Deputy Nolan tabled a notice of motion that called for an extension of the city’s boundary.

Deputy Nolan said it was his information that an independent review group, similar to that in Cork, will be set-up to examine the boundary issue in Galway.

He pointed out that is was ‘lunacy’ that the new planned town of Ardaun comes within two different local authorities – some of it is in the city and the rest the county.