Galway City Manager Snubs Public

galway | environment | news report Tuesday May 15, 2007 12:22 by Galway Water Crisis

Cfity Manager, Jo McGrath refuses to allow staff to address the public

A motion was put forward at last night's city council meeting to allow Galway City officials to address the public at a seminar being organised by Galway Water Crisis. City Manager, Jo McGrath stated that he would not attend such a seminar nor would he allow his staff to attend.

Jo McGrath, Galway's City manager, made his position with regards to the Galway public clear last night at the monthly meeting of Galway City Council. A motion was put forward by Councillor Tom Costello on behalf of the Galway Water Crisis campaign to allow Mr. McGrath and Ciaran Hayes, director of services, to address the public at a seminar being organised by the group and to give a presentation on the current water crisis. Mcgrath made it very clear that he was not interested in doing this and that he would not permit his staff to do so either. The majority of the councillors, to be fair to them, tried to argue the case but he was clearly not interested. The wording of the motion was then adapted to say that the council encourages the city officials to address the public and this was subsequently passed. This however means nothing but lip service. McGrath has made his mind up. He will not talk to the public.

See below for statement from the Galway Water Crisis campaign:-

"So there you have it, our city of Galway is been run by a man who thinks himself above everyone, above the public, above the city councillors. You know what they say about power-it corrupts, and the absolute power that this man has given himself is corrupting our city's democratic system absolutely. Take note, people of Galway, the council is taking you for a ride and they are contemptuously laughing at any attempt to ask them to be accountable to the public. This is why our city is in the state it is in, nobody is accountable.
The only person who can put this man out of office is Minister Dick Roche. Pity he's too busy concerning himself with gaining his own bit of absolute power to be concerned with the needs of Galway."
Maeve Kelly, Galway Water Crisis
Contact: 087 6700448