Labour councillor ‘disgusted’ at no-show by ministers after storms

 Cllr Billy Cameron said that he was absolutely disgusted that no minister had bothered to come to Galway and view at first hand the damage caused by the storms.

“I suppose that it’s typical of the way that the West of Ireland is treated. I’m a Labour party councillor myself, but it was hard to believe that no Government Minister, or representative, travelled west to see at first hand the extent of the damage caused,” said Cllr Cameron.

He was speaking at a meeting of Galway City Council last night at which it was revealed that the cost of storm damage to the city’s coastline and the Leisureland complex in Salthill has been estimated to be close on €1.3 million.

Repairs to Leisureland could work out at around the €500,000 mark, although councillors were told by officials that this damage would be covered by insurance.

Cllr Cameron said that the lack of leadership and interest shown by Government ministers was in stark contrast to the trojan work carried out by staff of the City Council during the height of the storms.

“The City Council workers were really brilliant and what was also consoling was to see the goodwill and kindness shown by neighbours to people who were under pressure with the storms,” said Cllr Cameron.

He added that ministers should have been visiting the west in the aftermath of the storms to bring back first hand information as to what conditions were like in Galway and all along the coastline.

Cllr Colette Connolly said that the often much maligned staff of City Council had to be complimented on the fantastic work that they did during the worst of the weather conditions.

“This is a Council that suffered the loss of 100 staff over recent years and whose resources have been cut to a minimum. The Council crews did fantastic work,” she said.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel