IT SEEMS THAT Galway city as a civic entity is so short on funds that people can’t bury their loved ones on a Sunday at present.
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames raised the issue in the Seanad yesterday after a meeting she attended with Galway city manager Brendan McGrath.
He apparently was very clear that the city is in desperate need of an extra €2.5 million in state funding in order to maintain service in relation to roads, housing and other issues.
Speaking to Galway Bay FM this morning Healy Eames said that McGrath had told her that burials can’t happen in the city on a Sunday at present because of the premium rates that apply.
“The funds simply aren’t there,” she said.
According to Healy Eames over 80% of Galway’s funding comes from local rates and property tax at present.
Our businesses are just coming out of a lot of lean years at present.
We don’t want to go back and kill them again. People are already stretched enough with bills as it is.
The senator sees the solution as lying in Ireland’s increased corporation tax take over the last year.
“I wrote to both Michael Noonan and Alan Kelly yesterday. €1.6 billion was taken in extra corporation tax last year, and much of that came from Galway city businesses,” she said.
We need to highlight to the people of our city that we have a serious funding issue here.
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