A record number of fines were issued by Galway City Council last month as the local authority ramped up its enforcement activities.

Management at City Hall has confirmed that the Council now employs a dozen wardens – more than ever – and they issued a ‘huge number’ of Fixed Charge Penalty Notices in September.

Director of Services, Patrick Greene, whose remit includes Roads and Recreation and Amenity sections, said the Council now employed a full team of community wardens for the first time.

At a local authority meeting last week, he said there were now 12 community wardens employed by the City Council involved in litter, parking and other enforcement issues.

Mr Greene said the wardens had issued a record number of tickets last month, which amounted to over 3,000 fines in September.

“They’re doing a really good job. They’re very active . . . to say we are not doing our job is incorrect; they’re doing a great job,” he said.

Councillor Colette Connolly (Ind) interjected and said it was “incorrect” to state that she said or inferred that the Council wardens were not doing their job.

Cllr Connolly said she had attended a Make Way Day event in Leisureland in September where people with disabilities and mobility issues complained of the obstacles and problems with getting around the city.

She told Mr Greene that she was simply relaying the frustration of the people who attended Make Way Day.

“We’re supposed to be an inclusive city. We need to do better; we need to make the city more inclusive,” she said.

Enforcement of illegal parking, and enforcement of tables and chairs licences issued to businesses, so that footpaths are not blocked, was required to make the city more inclusive for people with disabilities, she said.

Elizabeth Fanning, Director of Services for Housing, Economic Development and Culture agreed with Cllr Connolly that the Council needed to do better in the area of inclusivity.

Ms Fanning said the Council was in the process of establishing an inter-departmental committee focusing on disability; she would chair the committee that would at improving services across all Departments.

In response to Cllr Alan Curran (Soc Dem), Mr Greene confirmed the City Council does not have a footpath maintenance team.

Inspections are carried out on footpaths, and improvements undertaken when required, he said.

Cllr Curran said many of the accessibility issues in Galway had simple solutions such as cutting foliage that was blocking paths and visibility, and clearing leaves from paths.