‘Spongers’ owe City Council nearly €30 million

Business‘spongers’ have left the city owed almost €30 million in rates arrears.
Galway City Council revealed this week that less than half of the commercial rates due have been paid to date.
At the beginning of the year there was almost €18 million outstanding in rates payments to the Council which is struggling to provide essential public services this year, according to its executive.
This figure has now escalated to nearly €30 million.
An angry former Mayor of Galway, Cllr Pádraig Conneely, said: “These businesses are sponging from the city . . . their failure to pay rates is costing Galway a quality of service that it is entitled to. The outstanding €30m could run Galway for months. They are hurting the city.”

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.