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County Council adopts new Anti Social Behaviour Strategy
Galway Bay fm newsroom:
Galway County Council has adopted an Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy up to 2020.
The matter was discussed at a meeting of the county council this week. (17/12)
Councillor Donagh Killilea told the meeting that it takes ‘one bad person to ruin the lives of many’.
He said that the council is not strong enough in terms of enforcement against anti-social behaviour and that he is waiting to see what will happen at Gilmartin Road once new housing has been built and occupied.
Sinn Féin Ballinasloe Councillor Dermot Connolly says the lives of vulnerable people in some areas are ‘pure torture’ due to anti-social activities.
Fine Gael Councillor Tom McHugh says the council is in an ‘awkward’ position, because if the council evicts a tenant, that tenant then becomes the responsibility of the council to house again the next morning.
He said that houses have been destroyed in the past in places such as Tuam and Ahascragh by a small percentage of people.
Councillor McHugh told the meeting that the council needs to be tougher in tavckling anti-social behaviour and people should be taken to court and their benefits should be reduced.
Independent Councillor Shaun Cunniffe said he could not support the proposed strategy for the county calling it a ‘pretence’ that ‘won’t work’.
He said that the council will soon rehouse Gilmartin Road and he can’t give a guarantee that those houses won’t be wrecked again.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Fahy suggested a new competition with prizes for the ‘Best Kept Local Authority House’ to get people to take pride in their homes.
Director of Housing with the council, Michael Owens says large scale social housing estates are not the approach it’s adopting going forward.
Despite the concerns about the efficacy of the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy, it was unanimously agreed by all councillors.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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