Search Results for 'Joe Byrne'

A majority of Galway county councillors are opposed to any merger of Galway's two local authorities, but also fear plans to merge the city and county councils are already "a fait accompli" that will be "forced upon us", regardless of their views.

Councillor Joe Byrne says the grant of €50,000 to Gort town is a most welcome boost.

The reclassification of a number of roads in the county due to the opening of the Gort to Tuam motorway has been criticised by councillors because of a lack of funding available to Galway County Council to maintain these roads.

Galway County Council is still awaiting a response from the Office of Public Works regarding an application for funding for proposed works in South Galway to try to alleviate the area’s flooding issues.

International Walk Day

A public meeting about the ongoing flooding problem in South Galway will take place in Sullivan’s Hotel Gort next Monday April 18. This winter again saw mass flooding in the area and numerous people having to be evacuated from their homes. There is still land under water and farmers are suffering the after-effects of trying to deal with ruined sodden land.

Flooding was on the agenda again at Monday’s meeting of Galway County Council, with Kinvara Councillor Joe Byrne calling for the immediate progressing of the channel in Cahermore. A channel was constructed in the townland between Ardrahan and Kinvara in January during the height of the flooding, but it has been agreed by all that to alleviate South Galway’s flooding issues in the long-term, it needs to be deepened and lengthened.

Cahermore, the small townland located between Labane and Kinvara has been very much in the news this week due to the construction of a channel in the area which could potentially have a huge effect on future flooding in South Galway. The channel, which was dug last week following the go-ahead from Galway Couty Council, is almost three miles long and runs from Cahermore to the sea. It has been critical in ensuring that a huge number of homes in the surrounding area have been spared from going under water.

The Government has intervened to cover the shortfall in Galway County Council funding, arising from a loss of income from rates, with an allocation of €573,554. One Galway TD has described this as a "timely intervention".

There will be no reduction to the Local Property Tax rate in Galway city or county next year. At the September monthly meeting of Galway County Council, local representatives voted to keep the property tax rate unchanged while city councillors passed a similar motion at their meeting a fortnight ago.