The threatened eviction of a woman who was later found dead in her local authority flat is due to be raised by the Mayor of Galway, Cllr Catherine Connolly, at tonight's city council meeting.
Cllr Connolly of the Labour Party has already called for a review of Galway City Council's housing policy, following the sudden death of Ms Bríd Cummins (48) last Monday. Gardaí believe there was no foul play involved. The Mayor has said that there are "serious questions" to be answered over the council's handling of Ms Cummins's case.
These questions include the city council's decision to direct a homeless organisation not to house Ms Cummins if she presented herself to it prior to or after the date of her eviction. "It is shocking that an official felt that he had the power to give that directive," the mayor said.
The city council had been granted an eviction order at Galway District Court, which was upheld by the Circuit Court following evidence that Ms Cummins had displayed antisocial behaviour towards her neighbours at Munster Avenue. Ms Cummins had denied the allegations.
Cllr Connolly said that Ms Cummins, who had a disability, was not satisfied with her own accommodation and had applied for a transfer. Cllr Connolly said that the case should never have gone to court because she qualified for a housing transfer on medical and other grounds.
The homeless organisation Cope, which is contracted by Galway City Council and the Western Health Board (WHB) to provide emergency accommodation services in the city, confirmed that it had received letters from the city council on November 29th instructing it not to assist Ms Cummins.
Mr Martin O'Connor, assistant director of Cope, said that although it was contracted by the local authority and health board, it operated independently of both and carried out its own assessments of needs. It had voiced its objection to the instruction issued at a steering group meeting of the Galway City Homeless Forum, and wrote to the housing section of the council on December 3rd recording its objection to the instruction.
It also sought answers to a number of questions which it had in relation to the instruction.
Cope says it decided on December 6th to assist Ms Cummins if she presented herself, but she was found dead that morning.
Galway City Council has said it does not think it "appropriate" to comment at this time, but has said it is "completely open to a full analysis" of the situation.
In a separate development, two women from Angola and South Africa who gave birth to children in Ireland before the citizenship referendum, and who are now facing deportation, are due to give a presentation at tonight's local authority meeting. The women will ask the city council to pass a motion calling on the Government not to use the new nationality and citizenship legislation to break up families.
A spokeswoman for the two women said they had voted in the local elections, and felt councillors should be made aware of what was happening to some of their electorate. It marked the first time that a council would facilitate such a deputation.