Madam, - It is regrettable that Alan Cooke of the Irish Auctioneers' and Valuers' Institute (Letters, July 14th) chose publicly to criticise Galway City Council on the basis of inaccurate media reports, and without making contacting the council to confirm the true position. For the record, Galway City Council did not renege on any contractual commitments to buy houses, and the city council has not been responsible for undue delays in completing sales.
In seeking to acquire residential units, Galway City Council fully accepts its responsibilities as a potential purchaser, and the council is committed to playing its part to ensuring that agreed purchases are completed as soon as is practicably possible.
However, Mr Cooke seems to argue that local authorities should be bound by a different code than that applicable to any other potential purchaser or seller. He provides no basis at all for this claim, other than a spurious reference to morality.
For the record, local authorities are bound by the same laws and conventions as any other party in the property market. Galway City Council has no difficulty in complying with these laws, and if the law is changed to address gazumping or any other practice of concern to Mr Cooke, the council will have no problem with that either, on the basis that the law applies equally to all parties. - Yours, etc,
JOE O'NEILL, Director, Housing and Corporate Services, Galway City Council.