Galway City Councillor Catherine Connolly has said there is an urgent need to tackle out-of-control drinking at the Spanish Arch and South Park and to bring in bye laws to allow the Gardaí to confiscate alcohol.

Cllr Connolly said she has received urgent and angry representations in relation to out-of-control drinking in the Spanish Arch area and also at the beach side of South Park. She said last Friday night in particular there were a huge number of people assembled at South Park and Spanish Arch. As the evening and night progressed, she said the drinking and behaviour deteriorated and was utterly out of control when she went down at approximately 11pm. "The mess left in both places was appalling," she said.

According to the councillor, the whole scene on Saturday morning was one of devastation, with people, including many tourists, passing on the cycle/walkway path expressing their utter horror at what they saw.

"At South Park, there was a burnt out trolley, which had been the scene of a bonfire the night before and crates full of bottles and debris left behind.

"The only difference however between South Park and the Spanish Arch was that the Spanish Arch benefited from the very early City Council clean up while the South Park was clearly not on the city council's cleaning schedule."

Cllr Connolly said she had to contact the Community Warden who responded immediately. However, she said he was faced with a situation where no litter team or parks team from the city council was available until the afternoon and so the rubbish remained there for all to see.

Cllr Connolly has asked that South Park be placed on the rota for clean up, as is done in the Spanish Arch and the Square, while she will also be talking to the Garda Superintendent in relation to closer monitoring of South Park and also the Spanish Arch.

"The Gardaí must be seen on the beat and must be seen to police our public spaces. In addition, lighting must be put in along the new walkway in the South Park. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to bring in bye laws, which will allow the Garda to immediately confiscate alcohol from people drinking in our parks and public spaces," she said.

Cllr Connolly said this is a major gap in our bye laws and the Garda are obliged to get around the situation by using other legislation. For example, she said, other cities such as Cork, have already brought in the appropriate bye laws to allow the Gardaí to confiscate drink in public spaces and this has greatly reduced the problem.

Cllr Connolly said she has tabled a motion for an update on when the appropriate bye laws will come before the city council for their approval.

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