Cllrs lodge formal complaint over being ‘ignored’by Council staff

Date Published: 05-Nov-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

A formal complaint has been made to the City Manager by three Galway councillors over local authority staff ignoring phone calls and failing to deal with queries, the Sentinel has learned.

The three Fianna Fáil city councillors – brothers Michael and Ollie Crowe and Peter Keane – have warned Joe O’Neill that the “significant problem” will lead to a worsening relationship between them and staff unless it is urgently addressed.

They said the ongoing situation of staff “at all levels” ignoring phone calls and voicemails cannot be allowed to continue.

A spokesperson for Galway City Council said the Manager has replied to the email seeking a meeting to clarify and discuss the issues raised.

He also stressed that the email did not refer to the entire staff of the Council.

“There seems to be a concern expressed by the Fianna Fáil group that some people at various levels are not responding at the speed at which they’d like,” the spokesperson said.

In the course of the email, the councillors complained of “staff at all levels ignoring calls, ignoring our voicemails, not coming back to us on issues, us chasing staff on issues etc.“

It adds: “Our primary concern is that the decisions we take and representations we make are in the best interest of the city and its people.

“In order for us to be able to carry out this function properly, a good working relationship with senior, and indeed all staff, is required.

“You will appreciate that by putting this in writing to you, that we view this as a significant problem and are very anxious that it is dealt with.

“If it were to continue, I believe it will lead to a deteriorating working relationship which is not in the interest of the city,” the email adds.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel