Galway County Council

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Corporate and Cultural Affairs

What do we do?
The Corporate and Cultural Affairs Unit of the Council deals with services such Information Technology, Library Services, Freedom of Information, Register of Electors, Recreation and Amenity and Higher Education Grants. The Human Resources Department is also under the Corporate and Cultural Affairs Unit.

How to find us?
Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit,
Galway County Council,
2nd Floor, Áras an Chontae,
Prospect Hill,
Galway.

How to Contact us?

Recruitment
The Council employs up to 1450 people including office and outdoor staff. Staff are located throughout the County: in Áras an Chontae, Regional and Area Offices, Town Councils, Libraries and the FireService. We employ a diverse group of workers including the following grades: Administrative, Library, Social Workers, Engineers, Planners, Architects, Solicitors, Health & Safety Officers, Fire Officers, Firefighters, Technicians and Outdoor Employee grades. Advertisements for vacant positions are usually advertised in national and local newspapers and our website.

To find out about job vacancies please click here

The Irish Language & Services Through Irish
County Galway boasts Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht area and has a very significant number of Irish language customers throughout the County. We are committed to improving the services that we provide through Irish and welcome all correspondence through Irish. All of our application forms, our website, interactive and many other services are available bilingually. Precise customer care details for service provision through Irish are provided in An Scéim Teanga.

For more information on this contact:
Oifigeach Forbartha na Gaeilge, Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509325
E mail: gaeilge@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.gaillimh.ie

 

Human Resourses Department
Tel: 091 509460 / 509369
E mail: hr@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/Services/OtherServices/

Customer Service
How to make a Complaint or Comment

If you are not satisfied with the level or quality of service that you have received and wish to make a complaint or a comment you can do so by:

1 Downloading a complaints form online at
   www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/CustomerService/, completing it and posting it to the Customer Services Officer in
   the Unit that you have been dealing with.

2 Submitting your complaint online at 
   www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/CustomerService/ and clicking on “Online Customer Comments”. Complete the form
   and click on “Send”.

3 Ringing the relevant Unit in the Council that you have been dealing with and asking for a complaints form to be posted out
   to you. This should be returned to the Customer Services Officer  in the relevant Unit.

4 Visiting the Unit and completing a complaints form.

The complaint will be dealt with and a response issued to you within 15 working days. If you are not satisfied with the response you can make a further complaint to the Senior Executive Officer in the Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit of the Council.

To get a copy of our Customer Service Action Plan:
Tel: 091 509259
E mail: general@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/AboutYour
Council/CustomerService/

 

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Accessibility to Council Services
We are committed to improving accessibility of our public service centres, libraries, leisure facilities and heritage centres. In addition, measures have been introduced to enhance customer services through better access to information provided to the public and to improving accessibility in and around our towns and villages. We are also committed to supporting the employment of people with disabilities and to dealing with any access issues that may arise.

For further details please contact:
Access Officer, Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509230
E mail: secretar@galwaycoco.ie 

 

Higher Education Grants
The Council administers the Higher Education Grants Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Science. This Scheme, which is means-tested, assists students who wish to avail of funding to attend fulltime 3rd level education each year. Application forms are normally available by June / July each year and the closing date is normally 31st August.

To find out more about these grants please contact:

Higher Education Grants, Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509310
E mail: education@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/Services/Education/HEG/

 

Casual Trading Licences
The Council issues Casual Trading Licences for a number of towns and villages throughout the County. There is an annual licence fee. The Council also issues Special Event Licences for various festivals and fairs which take place throughout the year.

To find out more about these Licences please contact:
Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509327
E mail: general@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie

 

Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 1997 established 3 new statutory rights:

 

A small fee to make a request applies. A decision on your application must normally be made within 4 weeks. If your request is refused, the decision can then be appealed to a more senior official with a further right of appeal to the Independent Information Commissioner.

For further details on FOI please contact:
FOI Officer, Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509319
E mail: secretar@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/ 

 

Recreation & Amenity Facilities
We provide and maintain a number of public playgrounds, public parks, swimming pools and walking routes around the County. We also provide assistance to community groups in the provision of playgrounds, walking routes and weather pitches where funding is available.

To get more details on Recreation & Amenity facilities for your
area please contact:
Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509334
E mail: general@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/Services/AmenitiesLeisure/

 

 

Community Wardens
The role of the Community Warden is to forge stronger links between the Council and the community by developing links with residents associations, community groups, neighbourhood watch and environmental and heritage groups. Please also see
www.galway.ie/en/services/environment/communtiyinitiatives/.  Some of the activities that the Community Wardens are involved in are:

The following are the locations and the contact details of the
Community Wardens: 

Name

   Phone   Area
David Kelly 087 6788109   Ballinasloe Electoral Area
Patrick Roche 087 2222393   Ballinasloe Electoral Area
Thomas O Sullivan 087 2224251 Connemara Electoral Area
Martin Mannion 087 2227853 Connemara Electoral Area
Neil McHugh 087 2227856 Connemara Electoral Area
Shane Coogan 087 9461653 Loughrea Electoral Area
William Doyle 087 2051118 Loughrea Electoral Area
Mike Kelly 087 2224311 Loughrea Electoral Area
John Glennon 087 2224304 Loughrea Electoral Area
Rory O Connor 087 2224161 Oranmore Electoral Area
Noel Kelly 087 1224217 Oranmore Electoral Area
Christy Corcoran 087 2224192 Tuam Electoral Area
Anthony Cunnane 087 2224288 Tuam Electoral Area
Rosina Joyce 087 1225517 Tuam Electoral Area
Marie Nicholson 087 2151689 Tuam Electoral Area

Register of Electors
The Council is responsible for compiling the Register of Electors (voting register) for County Galway (excluding City). The Register is updated annually and comes into force on 15th day February each year, and persons aged 18 years or over on that date who are otherwise qualified can register to vote. A supplement to the register is also published prior to each election or referendum and the closing date for entry on the supplement is 14 working days prior to the polling
day.

To check if you are registered to vote contact:
Register of Electors, Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509310
E mail: register@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/ or
www.checktheregister.ie

The Register can also be checked at your local Post Office, Local Library or Garda Station.

Other Information
1 Under legislation, the Council is required to publish an Annual Report outlining the main activities undertaken by us for that year.
2 We also provide copies of agendas and minutes of our Council meetings on our website.

Copies of Annual Reports are available from:
Corporate & Cultural Affairs Unit
Tel: 091 509310
Email: general@galwaycoco.ie
Web: www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/