Galway City Council ‘promise’ on future of vacant homes

Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath, has promised to unveil plans early in the New Year for five homes in the city centre, which have been vacant for a decade.

Mr McGrath said that an official announcement about the properties at Lower Merchants Road would be made, probably this coming January.

They were purchased for “cultural” purposes over 10 years ago, but have remained vacant since. One of the homes is now a squat, causing annoyance and nuisance to neighbouring residents.

He was speaking at a City Council meeting, during a discussion about plans to expand the city museum.

Mr McGrath previously confirmed to Galway West TD, Catherine Connolly (Ind), that five properties on Lower Merchants Road in the ownership of the local authority are vacant/derelict.

The Council bought houses 17 and 18 at Lower Merchants Road in 2007, and at 19, 19A, and 20 in 2008. This was after they bought number 15 to build an arthouse cinema.

Numbers 17, 18, 19, 19A and 20 were acquired, “with the purpose of developing them as cultural/arts venues”, he said.

In August, Mr McGrath said the Council was progressing a “significant enhancement and extension to the City Museum” with a grant application submitted to Fáilte Ireland.

“It is intended that the City Museum project will copper-fasten the role of this part of the city as a cultural quarter, and the future uses for the houses at Lower Merchants’ Road will be considered in this regard, potentially as studio spaces for artists,” he told Deputy Connolly.

Proposals for the vacant properties were omitted entirely from the new museum plans, which were unveiled in September and discussed at length again this week. On Monday, Mr McGrath gave a commitment in the Council Chamber to bring forward proposals for the empty homes. This would be given to elected members in January, he said.

Meanwhile, the City Council executive came under fire on Monday for failing to crackdown on illegal parking outside Galway Museum and along footpaths in the area.

Cllr Collette Connolly (Ind) said she has been highlighting the issue for 14 years but nothing has changed. She urged Mayor Mike Cubbard to intervene. “If you have any influence as a mayor, do something,” she said.

Uinsinn Finn of the Council’s Transport Department said parking along the footpath was policed by wardens, but there was a particular area that was “not a public road”.

Cllr Owen Hanley (Soc Dems) sought clarity, and Mr McGrath said what Mr Finn meant was that the road was not in the charge of the Council – but parking rules could still be enforced there.