Galway County Board officials have begun a full investigation into allegations that a document handed into Galway City Council concerning planning had a forged signature of a Garda member. This alleged forged signature has blackened the GAA's plans to erect floodlights on the County Ground at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.

It emerged last week that a senior Garda in the Salthill Station contacted Galway City Council over a planning application that was handed in just after the New Year. It is alleged that a signature on one of the applications made to Galway City Council had been forged and was not that of the Superintendent, an inspector or a sergeant.

The signature in question is on a document that is attached to an official Garda document, with Garda letter heading. This official headed Garda document has an undisputed garda signature. A spokesperson confirmed that there is just one document at the centre of the controversy.

The document at the centre of the controversy concerns the Traffic Management Scheme for the stadium, an issue that has long caused disputes between the GAA, the Stadium Development Committee and some resident in Salthill.

Gardai have asked both the GAA and Galway City Council to investigate the signature, which is causing much embarrassment to the GAA. The issue of floodlights at the Salthill venue has been a drawn-out and divisive issue.

Superintendent Noel Kelly of Salthill Garda Station has told Galway City Council that the signature on the documents they received is neither his nor that of his inspector or sergeant. Superintendent Kelly has asked Galway City Council to find out who signed the document.

A spokesperson for the GAA and Pearse Stadium said: "We have received and are looking over documents and copies of documents at the moment. We are holding a full and thorough investigation, which involves members of the Stadium Committee's board and county officials.

"We hope to get to the bottom of this very quickly and would like to see this resolved sometime within the next week or two."

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