Impasse continues as Travellers move to Knocknacarra

The impasse over the Traveller families who moved this week from the Barna Waste site on the Headford Road to Knockncarra was still no nearer a resolution by last evening, the Galway City Tribune has learned.

Traveller representatives have claimed that emergency accommodation outlets at the Fairgreen and Osterley Lodge are ‘full to the brim’ and cannot take in any more residents.

Bridget Kelly, Community Development Worker with the Galway Traveller Movement, told the Galway City Tribune that following a meeting with the City Council this week, they had looked for a temporary ‘safe space’ for the families to move into.

“There is simply no room available at either of the ‘emergency accommodation’ city outlets [Fairgreen and Osterley Lodge]. We just sought a safe space for the families to move into, but the City Council said that they had no such place available,” said Bridget Kelly.

She said that the situation was most unsatisfactory with nine caravans currently located in a completely exposed piece of ground between the Millars Lane soccer pitches and the Rahoon Road.

“This problem is not going to go away. These families have nowhere to go. There’s no point in moving them on if they have nowhere to go. The City Council need to do a lot more on this issue,” said Bridget Kelly.

Local Knocknacarra councillor, Donal Lyons, told the Galway City Tribune that the site where the caravans were located in Knocknacarra was completely unsuitable with no services whatsoever provided.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune