Dear Editor,
I suppose in a way it is quite fitting that the last council meeting before Christmas should be abandoned. Yet again due to a lack of procedural measures to deal with disruptive meetings the opportunity to conduct council business is lost.

Having recently unprecedentedly passed the budget in one night, the councillors have again engaged in petty squabbles involving apologies and withdrawal of remarks. For those not directly involved in the argument, it is a total waste of time. It amazes me that in the Dáil, if a deputy is asked to leave the chamber, they will be removed by security if they refuse. However, it appears to me that if you do not get your way at Galway City Council that you can just spit the dummy, continue to disrupt and eventually the mayor is obliged to abandon the meeting. Sometimes it is followed by a 'time out' whereby the offending councillor apologises or withdraws their remarks, reservedly or unreservedly, as the case may be. But this was not the case recently and the meeting was abandoned.

Former Mayor Brian Walsh has indicated that he may reconsider his position on the council in January and this would be a serious loss of both common and business sense, if one of the most capable members of the body were to do so. Mayor Tom Costello started his term well by sorting out the contentious matter of meeting times, by facilitating the passing of the budget so promptly and by his performance to date. However, on behalf of the people of Galway somebody should draft rules on expulsion procedures at council meetings and, in the interests of the city, the councillors should ensure that they are enforced.

So councillors, take some time over the Christmas break to reflect on how you can provide us with the council we deserve or you will certainly regret it in 2009!

Mike Geraghty,
24 upper Newcastle,
Galway

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