Galway City councillors have voted down calls for an independent inquiry into the death of a local authority tenant who was found dead in her home on the day she was due to be evicted last month.
However, following a 3½-hour meeting, councillors are seeking more information on the case of Ms Brid Cummins (48), of Munster Avenue.
The councillors have given themselves until Friday, January 21st, to resubmit questions to the acting city manager, Mr Joe O'Neill, after a number of them expressed unhappiness with the report on the case which he produced two weeks ago.
Ms Cummins was found dead in her Munster Avenue flat on December 6th.
Her death resulted in severe criticism of the council's "anti-social behaviour" policy, although the report revealed that efforts were being made behind the scenes to provide accommodation for the Clonmel native.
At Monday night's meeting, some councillors expressed concern that they had not been given all relevant documents about the case, including letters between the council and Ms Cummins in the run-up to her eviction.
Councillors voted unanimously for a motion seeking further information from Mr O'Neill after they voted 8-6 against the staging of a full public inquiry.
PD, FG and FF members voted against an inquiry, with Cllr Michael Crowe (FG) abstaining.
The four Labour Party members were joined by the Greens and Sinn Féin in seeking an independent investigation.
Mr Tom Costello (Labour) and Mr Billy Cameron (Labour) asked whether the local authority staff were in a position to investigate themselves, while Mr Cameron claimed Ms Cummins had been singled out because she was an "independent woman who was willing to take on the system".
He later withdrew this remark when asked to do so by Mr O'Neill, who said there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by council staff.
Ms Colette Connolly (Labour) said there was no evidence in Mr O'Neill's report that Ms Cummins had engaged in anti-social behaviour.
However, the director of services for housing, Mr Ciaran Hayes, expressed disquiet that council officials were being criticised for the decisions of judges in both the District Court and the Circuit Court.
"The decision was with the judge, but it was the officials of the city council who were vilified. Public comments have been made in the absence of facts. Staff have been exposed to severe public criticism for carrying out the policy of the council."
He rejected claims by some Labour councillors that Ms Cummins should have been transferred to another location.
Mr Declan McDonnell (PD) said Ms Cummins should have received health board help as the onus was not just on the local authority to look after her.
The Mayor, Ms Catherine Connolly (Labour), said she found it unacceptable that Ms Cummins was not given a transfer to another local authority house in the city. She accused the council of being "insensitive and upsetting" in a letter sent to her a few days before her eviction date.
Mr O'Neill said he was extremely conscious of the sensitive nature of the case when he drafted his report, which was why he decided not to give "chapter and verse" information about Ms Cummins's tenancy.