The Galway Traveller Movement walked out of the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee yesterday and has called for solidarity against the eviction of families from the Cúl Tra halting site on June 5th.
The Galway City Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee is accused of having taken no substantive action to address issues outlined by GTM in a June 2016 briefing paper on solutions to Traveller accommodation issues in Galway city.
GTM says that council meetings in February and March of this year showed a complete disregard for the Council’s duty of care and legal obligations to the Traveller community. Joanna Corcoran, Traveller representative on Galway City LTACC, said: “There is no political will to address Traveller accommodation and no accountability for eighteen years of failed targets. Within the LTACC and Galway City Council meetings there is a strong anti Traveller discourse and the Traveller community’s voice is not valued.”
Paddy Sweeney, also a representative on the Galway City LTACC, added: “The final straw came when Galway City Council issued eviction notices to Traveller families in Cúl Tra halting site in Salthill. We are appalled by the Council’s approach to the chronic overcrowding on the site. Their solution to the Traveller accommodation crisis is more evictions”.
Galway City Council has issued a notice to vacate the halting site by 5th June and have offered no appropriate alternative accommodation. GTM has said that it will work with the affected families to resist the evictions. The group is calling for solidarity from the Traveller and settled community to attend a protest at the halting site on 5th June.
