Sites in County Galway mooted to house city Travellers

Two sites in County Galway have been suggested as suitable for halting sites to re-home Travellers from Galway City, who are currently living in overcrowded hardstands.

Galway Airport at Carnmore was flagged as a possible site for caravans to help solve the city’s Traveller accommodation shortage, which is said to be at crisis point.

A site in Oranmore, owned by Galway City Council, is another option being eyed-up by the local authority.

During a discussion on the mid-term review of Galway City’s Traveller Accommodation Plan (TAP), 2014-2018, a kite was flown about the possibility of using Galway Airport as a halting site.

Fine Gael City Councillor, Pearce Flannery said the facility was jointly owned by Galway City and County Councils and was currently “lying idle”.

Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said it was not true to say it was idle but Cllr Flannery insisted it was “radically underutilised” and would be ideal for a halting site.

Cllr Flannery told the special meeting that the Galway Airport site could be used as a short-to-medium term solution.

“This is not a Galway City problem. We need to deal with it in the context of our county counterparts,” he said.

Cllr Flannery urged Mr McGrath to liaise with Kevin Kelly, CE of Galway County Council, with a view to finding a city and county solution.

“I don’t agree with hardstands and never will,” said Cllr Flannery who said the long-term solution was “societal integration”.

Mr McGrath said that Galway Airport was “not properly zoned” to facilitate a halting site. And he pointed out that half of it was owned by the County Council.

“So, you have a problem,” he said, hinting that Cllr Flannery’s proposal might not find favour among Galway County Councillors.

Mayor of Galway, City Councillor Noel Larkin, said: “I don’t think Galway Airport will solve the problem. You can’t just take over the airport.”

Councillors were given a map and some detail about what the City Council has planned in terms of Traveller Accommodation at Carrowmoneesh in Oranmore.

A proposal for 10 caravan bays on the eight-hectare site off the N18, which is adjacent to Galway Metals and Deerpark and opposite Galway Business Park, was presented to City Councillors.

Mr McGrath said anything in Oranmore would require obtaining planning permission from the County Council, and subsequently An Bórd Pleanála.

Senior Executive Officer, Dermot Mahon, outlined how Traveller accommodation in the city is at “breaking point”.

Cúl Trá in Salthill is a six-bay halting site that is severely overcrowded with 18

caravans and 35 children living there.

The meeting heard how Cúl Trá is a fire hazard and an ‘Carrickmines’ in waiting – a reference to the tragedy in South Dublin where 10 Travellers including a young pregnant mother lost their lives at a fire in a halting site in 2015.

The ‘temporary’ halting site at Carrowbrowne has been there for eight years. The 13 families with 46 children are living on a site where planning permission has expired in December 2015.

Galway County Council has notified the City Council that it is an unauthorised development and “enforcement proceedings” are anticipated.

Mr Mahon outlined plans for five new halting sites at Keeraun in Knocknacarra, Westside, Headford Road, Merlin Park and Oranmore.

City Couniillors deferred approval of the mid-term review until the March 6 meeting.