A protest is planned for City Hall on Monday urging local councillors to support a motion to create a Public Park Warden Unit.
The protest is taking place ahead of Monday’s meeting of Galway City Council.
At the meeting Sinn Féin Councillor Mark Lohan will introduce a motion calling for the creation of a full time parks crew.
Local activist and environmental Brendan Smith is organising the protest, saying that Galway’s parks are being increasingly harmed by anti-social behaviour.
“Issues such as litter, dumping, destruction of seating/tables and tree felling are undermining not only citizens’ enjoyment of our valuable green spaces but are also impacting negatively on wildlife species.”
Lets Make scenes like this History where bags of rubbish are dumped into TerrylandForest Park river, damaging wildlife & people's enjoyment of our parks.Please join public protest 1.40pm Mon at City Hall to demand park wardens for #Galway City. Details at https://t.co/8Idz4IRDrZ pic.twitter.com/Qp0h8wNQDO
— Brendan Smith (@speediecelt) January 10, 2019
He is calling on the city council should follow in the example of Dublin and Belfast in having dedicated wardens for parks and natural heritage areas.
“Such on-the-ground staff could regularly carry out essential maintenance, act as tour guides, dramatically decrease acts of vandalism,” he said.
“And in the process restore public confidence and usage of a rich diverse range of meadows, forests, wetlands and parks that would be the envy of most other European cities.”
The Friends of Merlin Woods have said they will be joining the protest on Monday.
On twitter the local environmental group said “100’s of trees are cut illegally yearly, dumping is ongoing.”
“Volunteers do what they can, but it is not enough, our woodlands deserve better.”
We will be joining the protest to call for a Parks Warden Unit for our woodlands here in #MerlinWoods #Galway 100's of trees are cut illegally yearly ,dumping is ongoing ,volunteers do what they can but it is not enough,our woodlands deserve better Mon Jan 14th 1.45pm City Hall pic.twitter.com/6zSIDVC2V3
— FriendsofMerlinWoods (@FriendsMerlinWD) January 11, 2019
The protest will be held in front of the city hall ahead of the January council meeting from 1:40pm.
