Ombudsman investigates Council over parking allegations

The Ombudsman has written to the Galway motorist to confirm that it will seek answers from the local authority about accusations that certain vehicles with links to the City Council were not ticketed.

The original complaint emerged in the Summer, when it was alleged that a Galway City Councillor, and two members of Galway City Partnership, whose directors include officials and elected members of Galway City Council, received ‘special treatment’ and avoided a fine for parking without a pay and display permit.

An ‘ordinary’ motorist who parked beside them, also without a Pay and Display permit, received a parking ticket. But the Galway man claims that three other cars parked beside him, near Bohermore, did not get penalised even though didn’t have Pay and Display tickets either.

An appeal against the charge was rejected by the Council and the motorist subsequently took the matter to the Ombudsman.

In a letter issued this week, the Ombudsman said: “Having considered your appeal, the original decision and the case file on your complaint, I am of the view that this Office should engage further with the Council to get a reply from it on your contention that it fined you for parking in a restricted area but did not fine other drivers who were parked at the same area at the same time.

“I see from our case file on your complaint that the Council did reply to you in this regard but that its reply did not deal with your contention of preferential treatment of other drivers.  Accordingly, I have decided to reopen your complaint, so that we can pursue the Council to get you a reply on that aspect of your correspondence with it.”