Galway City Council requested a meeting with Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien to discuss the housing crisis in Galway. Over a year later, they are still waiting, with no direct response from the Minister.
Last February, the Council voted unanimously to pass a motion to request a meeting with Minister O’Brien. Councillor Clodagh Higgins brought this issue up both this year and last year, expressing concerns that the Minister has not yet reached out to the Council.
“The biggest issue facing our city is housing,” said Cllr Higgins. “We have the capacity to build here in Galway … we are simply being ignored”.
The Council calls for communication
The motion, passed last year, was directed at a number of Government Ministers.
“Galway City Council calls on the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Kieran O’Donnell urgently to meet with Galway City Councillors and Management to discuss issues impacting housing delivery in Galway City.”
At last week’s City Council meeting, Cllr Higgins brought up the motion again as it had been exactly a year since that motion had passed and there was still no communication from Minister O’Brien’s office.
The Council passed another motion to ask Minister O’Brien to meet with them and discuss options to address the housing crisis.
No response from the Minister
Minister O’Brien was in Galway City last Monday to announce the redevelopment of the new platforms at Ceannt Station. However, he did not meet with the Council to discuss the housing crisis.
There was no response from the Minister’s office regarding this issue.
There is currently a social housing scheme in the works which remains open to submissions from the public until 1 March. This scheme totals 84 social housing units and is in the area of Ballyburke.