Galway City Councillors have hit back at the Chamber of Commerce's criticism of the recent 3.8 per cent rate increase, saying that they made no effort to lobby for a lower rate.

Speaking to the Galway Independent last week, Chamber President Michael Coyle blasted the council saying it did not go far enough to compensate for the impact on business during the cryptosporidium outbreak earlier this year.

However, Labour Councillor Billy Cameron has accused Mr Coyle of sounding like a "poor farmer" with his "cries of hardship" in reaction to the increase.

"With inflation running at 5.5 per cent and a proposal of 4.5 per cent in the manager's report I believe that as a Council we did a superb job in maintaining the increase at 3.8 per which equates to last year's increases.

"I would remind the CEO that in the last year of the Council which preceded us, ie 2003/2004 that an increase of 7.2 per cent was implemented and I am sure he would agree that the Celtic Tiger per cent was alive and well then."

His comments were supported by fellow councillor Padraig Conneelly, who said the Chamber should direct its anger towards the City Manager who proposed a more substantial 4.5 per cent rate.

According to Cllr Conneelly, despite being "an elected member with responsibility to strike a rate for 2008," Chamber CEO Michael Coyle failed to lobby him on any occasion prior to the budget meeting on Monday 3 December.

In another development linked to last week's Budget meeting, Cllr Cameron said that he was worried about the "pathetic" share of the local government fund that Galway received this year.

"The purse strings of Local Government Funding are being tightened and as councillors we do share the Chamber President's concerns regarding the pathetic share of the local government fund which Galway is allocated, especially in relation to Limerick. Yet we remain second only to Dublin City Council in having the lowest rateable valuation in the country."

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