Over 100 submissions on ‘ridiculous’ beach and park bylaws

A total of 100 submissions were sent to Galway City Council over the proposed bylaws outlawing everyday pursuits in public parks and spaces.

Officials in Galway City Council will now examine each submission and prepare their own recommendations on whether the draft bylaws should be altered.

The Environment, Recreation and Amenity Strategic Policy Committee, headed by Cllr Terry O’Flaherty, will meet in the next few weeks to assess that report before it goes to the full chamber for a debate.

An online petition calling on Galway City Council not to introduce “new ridiculous bylaws” has so far garnered 3,185 signatures.

A spokesman for Galway City Council said the level of submissions would be very high compared to others in the past.

“In relation to some of the regulations of activities, they definitely need to be much more specific than these over-arching all-encompassing bans,” he stated.

“There may need to be regulations at certain locations, at certain times of the year. In some cases the draft bylaws might have been read as all open spaces in the city where that might not be appropriate.

“But there certainly was a great deal of interest in these bylaws from a wide range of individuals and organisations. The same amount was submitted for material alternations to the City Development Plan which is a very significant policy document.”

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