Tensions rise as Connemara councillors debate proposed merits of city and county councils

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The proposed amalgamation of Galway Co Council and Galway City Council sparked off strong reactions at today’s meeting of the Connemara Municipal Authority.
Councillors from west of the Corrib clashed about the merits of the proposed merger from the Dept of the Environment.
It was a spirited debate with a few expletives thrown in.
The clamour suggested amalgamation of Galway City Council and Galway County Council was lead by Oughterard councillor Séamus Walsh, who said it was now ironic to think that there were demands for a separate local authority for Connemara at the time of the last local election.
This larger body of city and county would leave the peripheral areas out in the cold, Councillor Walsh stated.
And he went on to say Fianna Fáil would not stand for it at national level.
Another Oughterard councillor, Thomas Welby, saw the situation differently.
Councillor Welby said he would not bank on Fianna Fáil standing their ground if the crunch came in Dublin.
Furthermore, he believed that the amalgamation would strengthen the status of Galway in general and give the local authority a critical mass of population and greater funding.
As it is, Galway county council is not doing much for peripheral areas, Thomas Welby said, and it does not have the resources to do so.
Councillor Niamh Byrne said she also saw merit in the link up of the city and county.
But councillors Tom Curran, Seán Ó Tuairisg and Thomas Healy all opposed the idea.
Councillor Ó Tuairisg said the issues of geography and the Irish langauge were critical factors.
And Councillor Healy was fearful of its effect on the status of Connemara saying “God help Connemara if this happens”.