update on garden allotment campaign

galway | environment | other press Tuesday March 20, 2007 14:02 by gníomhaí

On parts of the continent and in the UK, garden allotments are popular- if you live in a flat or don't have access to a garden it's a great way to grow your own veggies, get more self- sufficient and keep money out of the pockets of big supermarkets. In the UK they cost anything from £16-£50 a year to rent.
It will not be possible for much longer to transport food from the other side of the planet due to the rising cost of oil and gas, and besides this is not environmentally sustainable. In addition, harvests are failing or producing less due to chaotic climate change. As a result the cost of food is and will continue to climb.

Benefits of having garden allotments in the city include:

- health benefits
- important contribution to strengthening community
- increased self-sufficiency
- valuable education tool
- availability of local, organic produce
- reduction in imports

In August Galway City Council started taking names for a waiting list for those interested in renting garden allotments. 7 months on and the council is dragging its feet , although some ground is being made (pardon the pun).

There is mindset in the council that now that they've set up 2 community gardens (the one in Westside is a joke), they are finished with the issue. We have to persuade them otherwise and keep the pressure on. E-mail all the councillors if you get a chance and get yourself on the waiting list. Ring the Parks Dept. of the Citty Council: (091) 53 64 00. Ask them for details when where etc.

The subject of garden allotments has now been brought up on a number of occasions at council meetings and both Niall Ó Brolocháin (GP) and Catherine Connolly (Ind.) are fully behind it. The issue has lately been deferred at meetings because they have such a backlog of things to get through (God knows why they don't meet more often....) It will be addressed again probably at next meeting - 9th of April 4pm in City Hall on Prospect Hill (it's open to all- first you have to sign in at reception, but be there at 4pm, otherwise the doors are closed. Meetings take place on the 2nd Monday of every month.

Simply write -for eg.-

Dear Councillor,

I wish to request that Galway City Council institute a garden allotment scheme.

Yours sincerely,

Signed

The councillors' e-mails are as follows:

djcallanan@eircom.net
tcostello@cllr.galwaycity.ie
mjcrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ie
declanpmcdonnell@eircom.net
toflaherty@cllr.galwaycity.ie
brianwalsh100@eircom.net
mleahy@cllr.galwaycity.ie
cconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie
donallyons@eircom.net
jmulholland@cllr.galwaycity.ie
niallob@esatclear.ie
bcameron@eircom.net

Pádraig Conneely
Tel: (mobile) 087 2593886

colconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie
jconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie