Galway Advertiser 2006/2006_04_13/GA_1304_E1_020.pdf 

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20 N E W S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

April 13 2006

Devaney vows to fight city council in High Court for right to trade from his van
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Gerry Devaney, who has been trading in Eyre Square since the 1960s, has vowed to fight the Galway City Council in the High Court if necessary for the right to keep his van at his trading post. When work began on the northern part of the square early last year as part of the Eyre Square refurbishment, Mr Devaney had to move from his traditional trading spot across from Supermacs. Following meetings with City Hall, he won the right to trade in Rosemary Avenue. It was planned Mr Devaney would move back to his old trading spot once renovations were finished. However, when Mr Devaney was about to move back, he was informed he could not bring his van onto his trading area and that it had to be parked elsewhere. Mr Devaney said this was impractical and continued trading in Rosemary Avenue. Mr Devaney has been trading in Eyre Square since 1963 and has always had both his van and his stall on site, with the van acting as a means of transport for his goods, a mobile warehouse, and as a shop from which goods can be purchased. "The van is my mobile shop," he told the Galway Advertiser. "They store the goods I trade but also if somebody asks me for something and I don't

Gerry Devaney and his van.

have it on display I can say, `Wait I have it in the van', so the van is as important to have on site as the stall." However the city council say he must move out of Rosemary Avenue or face legal proceedings. In a letter to Mr Devaney dated April 7 the council noted he had "still not taken up the space allocated" to him at the Eyre Square Casual Trading Area which is at the small plaza just outside the Galway Advertiser offices and Dunnes Stores. The letter adds that the council is proposing to revoke his trading licence "as you have failed to trade from your licensed trading area for over 30 days". It concludes: "Should you fail to move to the newly paved area we propose to institute legal proceedings without further notification". Mr Devaney said he is outraged by the letter and that he will not move to the new trading area unless he can have his van. He also says there

are additional problems relating to where he and his sons can bring their vans, the location of the loading bays, the permitted size of trading stalls, and size of the area allocated for each trader. According to Mr Devaney, the council will not allow his van to remain at his trading point during his hours of business from 10am to 6pm on the basis it is an "eyesore". He can only have his van on site to unload his goods, after which it must be parked elsewhere. As a result, Mr Devaney would have to park somewhere like the Dyke Road, but as he and his son Ciaran point out, with the van left unattended all day and full of stock it will be vulnerable to break in and theft. They also point out how the loading bay reserved for their use is often occupied by articulated lorries early in the morning which would creates great difficulties for them if they had to unload stock. Mr Devaney also says the

trading areas allocated in the new plaza are far too small and regulations about the width and height of stalls reduce the area and level of trading he can carry out. Mr Devaney is also questioning the right of City Hall to threaten to revoke his licence. "For them to do that I would have to commit a criminal offence," he said. Mr Devaney said he wants to meet the city manager Joe McGrath and discuss the matter with him. However he said if necessary he will fight the city council in court for the right to keep his licence, keep his vans on site, and remain trading in Eyre Square. "If necessary I will go the High Court to fight this," he said. "If my licence is revoked, my livelihood is gone. I, and my sons, are fighting for the right to earn a living. We will fight them on this and we will give them a lash. All we are asking is that we have the vans with us to do that. The city council need to be realistic about that."

Mayor left out in cold over ESB substation
BY KERNAN ANDREWS The Mayor of Galway Cllr Brian Walsh found himself alone and isolated when his calls to allow the ESB to build a substation in Knocknacarra were met with opposition at Monday's city council meeting. At the meeting councillors were asked to approve making land owned by the council at the Cappagh Road, Knocknacarra, available to the ESB to build a substation. However local residents were opposed to this disposal of land, saying if the substation were to go ahead, land would be devalued and emissions from the substation would affect people's health. In response the ESB said the substation would be located 72 metres from the nearest house and that its substation will have "no effect" on people's health as the emissions will be "less than those found in the domestic environment". It also said the substation is needed to supply electricity to meet the growing needs of a continually expanding area like Knocknacarra over the next few years. At the meeting Mayor Walsh agreed with this line and proposed the council give the land to the ESB. However he couldn't even find a seconder for his motion and with no one willing to support him the proposal was defeated.