Galway City Council has hit crisis point with a number of councillors calling for it to be disbanded until 2009. 

Cllr Michael Crowe

Monday night’s meeting came to an abrupt end when Fine Gael councillor Conneely launched a personal attack on city officials. As a result of the adjournment, the council cannot conduct another meeting until Cllr Conneely retracts his statements – something which he has so far refused to do.

A spokesperson for the city council has said the city manager will be taking up the matter with the Fine Gael whip and would make no further comment on the matter until then.

Speaking to the Galway Independent, Cllr Conneely was unapologetic for his actions saying he wouldn’t need to resort to disparaging comments if there was more “openness and transparency” from the council officials. He has not yet decided whether he will be retracting the offending statements.

But Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Crowe has hit out at the current situation and has called for the council to be disbanded. He said the conduct of the council is “a total and utter joke”, with all meetings ending in insults, jibes and rude comments.

"It’s a total and utter joke that this continues at every meeting of the council. At almost all meetings there are insults, jibes and rude comments occurring and the fact is it cannot continue.

Cllr Crowe said that, unless there is radical change, then the current council should be disbanded. He said the ruling is that an official from the Department of the Environment can take over until the next local election in 2009.

“I don’t like this option,” continued Cllr Crowe, “and certainly us councillors have the best knowledge to progress Galway, but it certainly cannot continue as is.”

The Department of the Environment and Local Government has the power to dissolve a council and appoint a commissioner. However, this usually happens in cases of major financial mismanagement, or when a council refuses to agree a budget, or is unable to amend a service or rule dictated by central government.