'Third World' conditions at halting site

Galway City Council has been accused of presiding over "Third World" conditions at a Travellers' halting site on the city's north…

Galway City Council has been accused of presiding over "Third World" conditions at a Travellers' halting site on the city's north side.

Green Party councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin, who is chair of the city council's Traveller consultative committee, said it was unacceptable that electricity should not be available for residents at the Carrowbrowne halting site, located beside the city's old landfill on the Headford road.

However the city council has said it is committed to upgrading the site, which will happen "in the near future".

A resolution had been passed unanimously by the council before Christmas to provide electricity in advance of any upgrade, but no plan had as yet been drawn up for this, Cllr Ó Brolcháin said on Tuesday.

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The issue was raised again at this week's city council meeting, but council officials had failed to provide adequate answers for the delay, he said.

The condition of Carrowbrowne has been a long-running issue in Galway city, and was described as "disgraceful" over three years ago by Labour Party president and Galway West TD Michael D Higgins. Mr Higgins was informed in September 2001 that the National Building Agency had been asked to prepare draft plans to upgrade the facility, which was originally a transient site.

Cllr Ó Brolcháin said city officials had told him the site had suffered repeated vandalism in recent years.

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins is the former western and marine correspondent of The Irish Times