Galway County Council has been accused of failing a teenager being subjected to daily bullying and intimidation.

Cllr Donagh Killilea (FF) told a meeting of Tuam Municipal District that the child, who lives with their parents in a Council house in Tuam, is being subjected to regular abuse on their way to and from school from teenagers living in nearby houses.

Despite several attempts to have the Council intervene over the past six months, Cllr Killilea said ‘nothing’ had happened.

The Fianna Fáil councillor said the Housing Section in the Council had committed to meet with the family but never followed through.

This was ‘unacceptable’, he said, as he warned if action was not taken ahead of the next Municipal District meeting, he would put down a motion of no confidence in Council staff.

“On the 26th of August, I raised that a minor was being bullied up in [named estate]. I was given a commitment from Housing that a Housing Liaison Officer would go out and visit.

“This young child is going in and out of the estate, getting hassled, and it was going on long before it was ever reported to the Council,” said Cllr Killilea.

“It’s not good enough that some official in Galway County Council has not seen fit to make contact with that family – not to ring them, not to make contact with them, not to send so much a smoke signal,” he continued.

Cllr Killilea said it was “extremely disappointing”, particularly as the family involved had just received a letter telling them that their rent was going to be increased.

“I am going to put down a motion of no confidence . . . if this is not addressed by our next meeting,” he said.

Director of Services, Michael Owens, said he would “follow up” on the matter.

Speaking after the meeting on Monday, Cllr Killilea said in his time on the Council, he had never had to raise an issue such as this in public due to a lack of action by the Council.

“I was previously told a member of the Housing team would meet with the family. I have followed up with four separate requests and was given commitments that a meeting would take place – it hasn’t happened.

“In eleven years on the Council, I have never had to raise an issue like this because it would be addressed behind the scenes. But I will have no choice but to put down a motion of no confidence,” he said.

“It is just not good enough that this adolescent and their parents were given assurances that were not followed up on,” said Cllr Killillea.

Pictured: Cllr Donagh Killilea…just not good enough.