The Galway Traveller Movement has withdrawn from a local authority committee over what it says is a failure to address an accommodation crisis in the city.
Members of the GTM walked out of a meeting today, in protest at the actions of the City Council in dealing with concerns it had raised.
The organisation says there has been no substantive effort to deal with overcrowding, unsafe and sub-standard living conditions.
It claims Galway City Council is failing to meet its obligations and has shown no willingness to protect and respect the rights of travellers.
One of the group’s representative on the council’s Traveller Accommodation Committee says there is an "anti-Traveller discourse" at the local authority.
Joanna Corcoran says the GTM wants an emergency meeting with the City Manager so their concerns can be dealt with.
The decision to withdraw from the committee comes after the council issued eviction notices to ten families living in the Cúl Tra halting site in Salthill.
Galway Traveller Movement claims this happened without appropriate alternative accommodation being provided before the notices come into effect on 5 June.
A spokesperson for the City Council said it was regrettable that the Traveller representatives felt the need to walk out of the meeting.
The local authority says it is committed to the full implementation of the current Traveller Accommodation Programme and that a review of this is under way at present.
In relation to the eviction notices served on families at the halting site in Salthill, the council says that the site is significantly overcrowded and that this needs to be addressed.
It said that in light of developments elsewhere, including the tragedy that occurred in Carrickmines in Dublin 2015, the council has a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of families living in Cúl Tra.
The site was built to accommodate up to six families but it is understood that a total of 16 families are now living there.
