Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Residents of Shantalla have turned up the heat on Galway City Councillors, ahead of a crucial vote on a proposed land transfer to the HSE.

Two petitions are circulating that heaps pressure on elected members, especially six councillors in City Central.

In 2013, Galway City Council transferred public amenity land in Shantalla to the HSE. This was supposed to be for six months, to allow a temporary helipad at University Hospital Galway.

Twelve years later, the HSE still hasn’t returned the land; and it has finally requested a permanent transfer.

This will require approval from councillors. On one hand, they are being told it was a vital piece of infrastructure for healthcare; only a heartless monster would vote against a helipad.

Yet, if they cede ground to UHG and HSE, and are emotionally blackmailed into retrospectively approving a shameless land-grab, regardless of what it is used for, where does it end?

And what’s next – a Primary Care Centre on St Michael’s GAA pitch at Westside Sports Complex, perhaps?

No, the HSE abused the community’s trust – and councillors felt hoodwinked too – in its dealings on this plot of land. It’s all take with the HSE; they’re not model neighbours.

That mistrust and anger is reflected in a petition urging councillors to resign if the land deal is approved.

“In the likely event of the Shantalla pitch lands being transferred to the HSE, by Galway City Councillors in a forthcoming councillor-only vote, we, the undersigned, call upon our six local representatives to forthwith resign and withdraw from the electoral/mayoral pact, and seek re-election in their electoral ward,” it said.

This puts it up to Mayor Mike Cubbard (Ind) and Councillors Frank Fahy (FG), Josie Forde (FF), Eddie Hoare (FG), John McDonagh (Lab) and Eibhlín Seoighthe (Soc Dem).

Former Councillor Colette Connolly (Ind) was vocal in the past about the helipad – often a lone voice. And McDonagh, from Shantalla, has been strong in standing up for his community on this issue since he was elected June last year.

But can McDonagh and colleagues leverage a deal that satisfies the community’s need for green space; that allows for medical helicopter landings at UHG; and that includes agreement on a bus corridor through the hospital campus?

Meanwhile, residents demand accountability. They have petitioned the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, John Cummins ahead of the vote.

They told him the Council transferred the land temporarily in 2013 – without proper public consultation or environmental impact reports.

They said the Council registered ownership in 2018 but facilitated a waste-water connection through the lands in 2015.

Residents claimed this was therefore ‘unauthorised development’ – and they requested Minister Cummins launch a “formal public planning inquiry” to review the matter. Cat among pigeons!

Pictured: Mayor Mike Cubbard will be among the local councillors feeling public pressure ahead of a vote on the proposed transfer of public amenity lands to the HSE.