Backbencher urges Government to give Galway its fair share of funding
A government backbencher has demanded that Galway County Council is given its fair share of funding to reflect the scale of its responsibilities.
Galway East TD Pete Roche claimed there was a “growing concern” that Galway County Council is expected to deliver an increasing level of services “without a funding model that fully reflects the scale of its responsibilities”.
“Galway is a large and growing county with an extensive road network, dispersed rural communities and significant infrastructure demands. Our local authority plays a vital role in maintaining roads, supporting housing delivery, responding to severe weather events and delivering essential services. It is only right that the funding model reflects those responsibilities,” said the Fine Gael TD.
A lack of funding for Galway County Council has been a constant theme raised by Councillors and management at County Hall in recent years.
Though Government claimed funding of Galway County Council had increased by almost €50m between 2023 and 2025, the Sinn Féin Oireachtas team in Galway‘s three constituencies recently revealed that County Galway received almost €500 less per person in Government funding than the national average.
Deputy Roche said he has submitted a series of parliamentary questions to James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage about local authority funding.
These include questions about how local authority funding is calculated, how Galway compares with other counties on a per capita basis, and whether the current funding model adequately reflects the responsibilities of one of Ireland’s largest and most geographically diverse counties.
Deputy Roche is also seeking greater clarity on the availability of emergency funding for local authorities when unexpected infrastructure failures occur, including road collapses, bridge damage, drainage failures and other unforeseen incidents.
“When emergencies arise, local authorities should not have to divert funding away from planned projects to respond to urgent situations. We need to examine whether the current arrangements are sufficient and whether additional supports are required,” he said.
The Abbeyknockmoy native said the information he receives will form the basis of a wider policy proposal on local government funding.
“This is not about seeking special treatment for Galway. It is about ensuring that funding is distributed fairly, transparently and in a way that reflects the real challenges faced by large rural counties. My objective is to build an evidence-based case that will help secure the resources our communities need,” he said.