A number of city councillors in Galway expressed disquiet over a decision by Galway County Council to purchase a private house for a family of travellers in the city, rather than accommodate them in their own area. The County Council's decision to relocate the family to the city has been described by members of Galway Corporation as "disgraceful" and "a back door solution" to a problem the county authority had in accommodating the family.
However, the Galway Travellers' Support Group said the wishes of travellers to live in a certain area had to be taken into account when accommodation was being sought for them. Ald Declan McDonnell (PD) said yesterday that the purchase of the private house on the east side of the city was affecting a creche business next door. He said the creche owner had spent £75,000 on buying and refurbishing the house for her business and had adhered to "strict planning conditions".
"We have enough itinerants in this city, especially in the east side of the city, without another local authority pushing their problems on us. How can another council do that to us? It is not fair.
"The City Council should object to the County Council solving their problems in our city. It is disgraceful. Imagine if we started buying up houses in private housing estates in the county area and putting tenants from our housing list in them," said an incensed Mr McDonnell.
Ms Rachel Doyle, of the Galway Travellers' Support Group, rejected the councillors' depiction of travellers as "a problem".
"The family in question simply needed somewhere to live and it's the responsibility of the local authority to provide accommodation. This case highlights the lack of clear plans for traveller accommodation across the different authorities," she said.
The Galway City Manager, Mr Joe Gavin, pointed out that the County Council had bought a private property on the open market and that there was nothing that Galway Corporation could do about it. They did not need the approval of the corporation to either buy a city property or as to how they would use it, he added.
A spokesman for Galway County Council declined last night to comment on the matter, but said that a full formal statement would be issued later today.