Decision on Galway councils merger due later in the summer

The proposed amalgamation of Galway’s two local authorities remains ‘on the table’.

A ministerial decision on the abolition of Galway City and County Councils, and the creation of a Greater Galway Authority, is due later this summer.

Eoghan Murphy, the new Minister for Local Government, this week confirmed his department is considering an interim report by the ‘expert advisory group’, which was submitted on June 19.

The expert advisory group is carried out an examination of the local authority arrangements in Galway, following the October 2016 report of the Galway Local Government Committee, which unanimously recommended the establishment of a unified Greater Galway Authority.

The expert advisory group was tasked with undertaking a “detailed and rigorous examination and technical analysis” of the recommendations of the committee established in 2015.

It was also tasked with providing a cost-benefit analysis of the implications of the merger.

The advisory group includes Chief Executive of the County Council, Kevin Kelly, and Chief Executive of the City Council, Brendan McGrath, who have both voiced opposition to a merger.

The vast majority of councillors in the city and county want the two local authorities to remain as two separate bodies. Organisations such as Galway Chamber and An Taisce have come out in favour of an amalgamation.

Minister Murphy said: “The position in light of the interim report will be reflected in the wider report on local government which, under the Programme for Partnership Government, is being proposed for submission to Government and the Oireachtas.

“Preparation of this report is continuing in my Department with a view to its completion later this Summer.”

Fianna Fáil has urged the Minister to listen to the concerns of local people when considering the interim report of the expert advisory group.

The party’s spokesperson on regional development, rural affairs and the Gaeltacht, Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív, said the Government should abandon amalgamation proposals.

Deputy Ó Cuív said: “I am deeply concerned that despite the strong opposition from the majority of elected representatives in both the city and the county council to the amalgamation of the two local authorities, Minister Murphy is still considering the proposal as part of a wider report on local Government.

“It’s time that this Government began listening to the voices of local people and learning from their knowledge of local areas and to accept the democratic wish of the vast majority of people in Galway who do not want to see the amalgamation of the city and county councils.

“I have no difficulty in the councils sharing services and co-operating with each other but the amalgamation of the two local authorities over such a vast area – from the Shannon to the islands – would lead to a completely unwieldy local authority, which could see more marginal urban and rural communities losing out.

“We need to see a more open, transparent and democratic process when it comes to deciding the future of Galway City and County Councils.

“Fianna Fáil is resolutely opposed to the merging of the two local authorities and we will be calling on other parties to voice their opposition to these proposals as well.

“We need to maintain strong independent local authorities and I will not support any attempts to move away from this structure.”

An advisory group in Cork recommended an expansion of Cork City Council as the “best governance model” rather than amalgamation.