Busking bylaws delayed by legal technicality

A technicality is stalling the introduction of the busking bylaws six months after they were passed.

Galway city councillors were told by meeting administrator Gary McMahon that the bylaws were adopted with a commencement date included in the wording.

He said the Council was waiting for legal advice about whether it could insert that date into bylaws before enacting them. This was final step that needed to be taken in the process.

Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) remarked that it had been six months since they were passed. Fianna Fáil’s Peter Keane tabled a motion, which was seconded by Cllr O’Flaherty, calling on Galway City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath to sign a commencement order to implement the busking bylaws as a matter of urgency.

Mr McGrath said the crux of the problem was there was no provision to vary bylaws. The legal advice would tell them whether they could insert the commencement date or have to go back to the start of the entire process.
This is a preview only. To read the rest of this article, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week’s paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.