Galway Bay fm newsroom - The City Council is defending its work on Traveller accommodation after members of the Galway Traveller Movement pulled out of a consultative committee on the issue.
The committee which oversees the implementation of the Traveller Accommodation Plan for the city met last evening (22/05).
Members include city council officials, local elected representatives and Traveller representatives.
Galway Traveller Movement claims that despite presenting a briefing paper with recommendations on how to solve the accommodation crisis in June last year, no substantive action has been taken.
The group argues that Travellers continue to live in overcrowded, unsafe and sub standard living conditions, with no new halting site built in the city in 20 years.
Brigid Kelly is GTM spokesperson - she says the group decided to leave the consultative committee due to a belief that it is not effective in dealing with the situation.
However, in a statement to Galway Bay fm news, the City Council says it's regrettable that GTM representatives walked out of the meeting.
It says it's committed to the implementation of the current Traveller Accommodation Programme, including the mid term review of the strategy, which is ongoing.
In relation to the Cúl Trá site in Salthill, the council says it's concerned about the overcrowding issues, and will continue to work in best interests of the health, safety and welfare of the families involved.
