Years of simmering discontent about how central government funds the city council reached boiling point this week, when councillors roasted Galway’s TDs and senators for failing to champion the regional capital’s local authority.
In scenes never before witnessed by this local democracy reporter, several councillors affiliated with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, alongside Opposition members and independents, stood to voice trenchant criticism of the FF-FG-Regional Independent coalition, and its Galway Oireachtas members - past and present - for failing to secure improved funding for this city.
At the October plenary meeting in City Hall on Monday, councillors voted unanimously to send a delegation to Dublin, in November, to directly address Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne, Minister for Finance, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
It is exactly one year since a submission was sent to the Government seeking to equate the city council’s funding with Galway County Council’s status. It was ratified by a joint session of city and county councillors, attended by Galway Oireachtas members.
The latest vote was proposed by Councillor Donal Lyons (Ind ), and seconded by Mayor Helen Ogbu (Lab ), after Councillor Clodagh Higgins (FG ) demanded city representatives “take the lead” in dealing with Government from now on.
There was a number of stinging rebukes on the cost of living by councillors, as they also voted unanimously to reject a 10 percent increase in Local Property Tax (LPT ) proposed by the cash-strapped city’s executive. This was to fund a three-year, €3.1 million footpath repair fund for 63 housing estates across the city, with the average, privately-owned household to cough up an extra €29 per year, or eight cents per day.
Although (mostly ) not mentioned by name, Government TDs representing Galway are Fine Gael’s Minister Hildegarde Naughton, Peter Roche and Seán Kyne; Fianna Fáil’s John Connolly, Martin Daly and Albert Dolan; and two Regional Independents Group TDs: ministers Seán Canney and Noel Grealish. Government senators Ollie Crowe (FF ), Shane Curley (FF ), Anne Rabbitte (FF ), and PJ Murphy (FG ) are based in Galway, but technically do not represent it.
Political charges against Galway’s TDs and senators were led by Councillor Peter Keane (FF ), who said he faced sustained criticism after using his casting vote as mayor, in 2024, to pass Galway’s first ever increase in taxation for homeowners since LPT was introduced in 2013. That 15 per cent adjustment will net the council €7 million over its current term, and Keane expected Galway’s national representatives to help secure something similar for City Hall.
Anger
Addressing the council’s chief executive, Leonard Cleary, Keane thundered: “That decision gave you, chief executive, the ammunition to go to Government, to seek a fairer deal for this city, showing that we were doing our bit to raise funds locally, but all you got was contempt from Government,” he said, adding that “I include my own [party’s] senators and TDs in that.”
Councillor Níall McNelis (Lab ) blasted Government TDs and senators across Galway West and Galway East. “Oireachtas members are trying to pit us against the county council in terms of central government funding. And after all the heavy lifting we’ve done – no return. All Oireachtas members here must don the city jersey too, not just the county’s.”
Councillor Frank Fahy (FG ) said he is constantly told certain roads, such as in Menlo and Ballindooley, may not enjoy council-built pavements because these national routes fall under the remit of national transport agencies. “Yet this is not a problem in the county, where we have footpaths all the way from Barna out beyond,” he said, adding that “it would take a lifetime” to provide footpaths for the whole city when only €230,000 of the city’s €161 million budget is available for kerbing.
Councillor Alan Curran (SD ) said “it is beyond a joke how this local authority is funded” by a government enjoying a €10 billion surplus. He pointed to neighbourhood masterplans and public realm projects stewarded to “shovel ready” status by the council, then left languishing without government funding.
Councillor Shane Forde (FG ) said he supported a delegation to Dublin next month, while Councillor Declan McDonnell (Ind ) said he would no longer support local tax hikes, because Government would not match funds.
Councillor Mike Cubbard (Ind ) felt the council’s “hands were tied” when it came to funding city services, a comment echoed by Mayor Ogbu, who said councillors “were the grassroots politicians facing misinformation and criticism about who is responsible for [funding] what.”
City manager Leonard Cleary expressed disappointment there was “no movement in baseline funding this year” and that “it would have been an easier sell [to convince] councillors to raise LPT if monies were matched from national Government”. Cleary said he met the tánaiste and Department of Public Expenditure, and agreed to facilitate a delegation of councillors to do so.
“It was [the Executives’] view that we should distribute some funding responsibility to households, away from businesses, and we’re trying to be fair in distributing the load,” he said. Cleary added that councillors’ decision to reject a ringfenced, 15 per cent LPT rise under new rules, means “pressure will now be put on our November budget” with rates payers likely to carry more costs.
He added that new, local revenue streams must be looked at, and that the city was actively recruiting for a new Head of Commercial Services.
Government funding
Budget 2027, passed by the Dáil on October 6, made no adjustments to baseline funding for local authorities, despite Galway City Council’s executives and elected members pursuing a three-year campaign to highlight how the city, a regional economic driver, receives the lowest allocation of Ireland’s 31 councils.
This funding reflects Galway city’s 85,000-strong population, but the council argues it must also provide services to 35,000 students and 2.7 million visitors annually.
For 2027, Galway City Council will receive just €5 million in baseline funding, despite raising over €10 million from Local Property Tax (LPT ). Dublin City Council (€28m ), Galway County Council (€22m ) and Cork County Council (€21m ) receive the most. Next to Galway city, Carlow County Council receives the second least, at €9 million - more than double the €4 million it raises in LPT.
It will cost around €170 million to run Galway city next year, with only €164 million of income so far identified. This leaves €6 million of services to be slashed from the city’s November budget.
Most income (€70m ) will come from grants and subsidies, followed by commercial rates on businesses (€46m ), income from charges, fees and fines (€37m ) and LPT (€11m ).
Councillor Alan Cheevers (FF ) has a motion pending that City Hall should fund footpath repairs with a loan.
City finance chief Helen Kilroy warned only capital expenditure, such as new facilities, should be paid by borrowings, with maintenance serviced from income. She calculated a €3 million loan for footpath repairs may cost more than €4.2 million, including interest, over 20 years.
