Galway Bay fm newsroom:
Galway city council has voted to defer the decision on the future of the Galway Port Company until members are furnished with more information.
The decision was taken at a city council meeting last evening in the Galmont Hotel.
Galway City Council has voted to defer the decision on the future of the Galway Port company until such time as it receives further information on the inner workings of the firm.
The decision in question refers to whether the City Council will take a shareholding of the port company or decide to dissolve it entirely and take over its operation.
A workshop was held last week to explain to the councillor how the company works, however, consulting firm Smith and Williamson Limited who were hired to assess the port company did not attended the meeting.
The workshop, which was attended by 7 councillors, was run instead by the CEO of the Galway Port Company and City Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath.
At last evening’s city council meeting, the absence of the outside consultancy firm at the workshop was described as “insulting,” by Fianna Fail Councillor Mike Crowe and this sentiment was echoed by several other Councillors.
Chief Executive Brendan McGrath moved to allay some of their fears saying the consultants were not present at the workshop because the firm had changed owners since the initial assessment was commissioned.
He added that he would gladly invite them to give a presentation again.
A motion was put forward at last evenings meeting by Independent Councillor Declan McDonnell to follow the Chief Executive’s advice and take a shareholding in the port company.
