Galway Bay fm newsroom – Tensions are running high at County Hall this afternoon as Galway County Council attempts to pass a budget for 2016.
This year’s proposed budget is worth 104 million euro – and a decision on how best to allocate last minute additional funds of half a million euro has seen major disruptions in the chamber.
The budget in front of Councillors at this afternoon’s meeting of Galway County Council is worth 104m euro – a new low for the local authority and down 56 million compared to 2008.
Councillor Jim Cuddy says the figure is a disgrace – and it’s clear that the plan is to make the County Council so disfunctional that it would have to be abolished.
Councillor Seosamh O’ Cualain wanted to know how the local authority is facing cuts year on year, at a time when the country is supposed to be radically improving.
A major point of contention is last minute funding announced by the Government to help eliminate a 750 thousand euro shortfall in revenue, due to a recent drop in valuation for utilities across the county.
Councillors Jimmy McClearn and Mary Hoade proposed a list they had drawn up that outlined how the 573 thousand euro extra funding should be distributed.
The matter went to a vote and was passed with an overwhelming majority – but it prompted tense scenes in the chamber as a number of councillors expressed their dissatisfaction.
Councillor James Charity suggested that Jimmy McClearn is closer to the Grinch than to Father Christmas, after he said that it was a ‘good day’ for the County Council.
The Council will reconvene shortly after a brief break, to return to deliberation on the overall 104 million euro budget for 2016.