‘A crying shame’: Galway Councillors raise alarm over homelessness

A distressed late-night phone call from a parent seeking help for their homeless son sparked calls for urgent policy changes on homelessness at Galway County Council.

Published 4th Jun 2026, 10:11 BST Iconic A distressed late-night phone call from a parent seeking help for their homeless son sparked calls for urgent policy changes on homelessness at Galway County Council. Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Donagh Killilea said the county is “not going the right way” on homelessness after describing how a man was left sleeping rough with only a sleeping bag despite efforts to secure accommodation.

He spoke of how the young man ended up sleeping rough beside the River Corrib after emergency accommodation services were full - despite making countless phone calls to try to help and get him a bed for the night.

Questions were also raised over Galway’s out-of-hours homelessness response after councillors heard that it was a “stumbling block”.

“The person who answered didn’t have a deep understanding of Galway County Council services,” Cllr Killilea said. “They couldn’t give me any answers. Who looks after the out-of-hours service? That for me was a major stumbling block.”

READ NEXT: Galway greenlights €10m borrowing amid housing affordability row

Cllr Killilea said he was advised to contact COPE Galway but was told there were no available beds.

“We all talk about housing and a lot being done in housing, but I am worried about the level of homelessness out there,” he said.

He also said that 14 people were turned away that night from hostel services because of capacity issues.

“We are not going the right way in relation to homeless accommodation,” he said.

“People should be given, as best as possible, the chance to get a bed for a night.”

Cllr Killilea called for immediate policy changes to support homelessness services.

What can we do to help the housing section address this so that none of us get a phone call from a parent at their wits’ end?” There are people with high complex needs sleeping rough. It’s not fair on them or the service users.

Cllr Michael Moegie Maher (FG) agreed that “no one should be left out with a sleeping bag at night time”, while Cllr Dr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) described the situation as “a crying shame happening on our watch”.

She requested that COPE representatives come before the council to discuss options in more detail, however, Cllr Maher said the Housing SPC was better placed to deal with the issue.

READ NEXT: Families facing compulsory purchase angered by ring road letter

Cllr Alan Harney (FG) said vulnerable people are often left with no option but to travel into Galway City for emergency accommodation and called for more local accommodation with support services attached.

Council officials acknowledged that homeless services are under severe pressure and confirmed that COPE Galway is currently operating at full capacity.

Chief Executive Liam Conneally also acknowledged concerns around the out-of-hours phone line, which is operated by a third-party provider.

Closing the debate, Cllr Killilea said the focus must now be on policy change and was not critical of COPE.

“We need a policy change to support service delivery plans,” he said.

Related topics: Councillors River Corrib COPE Galway Homelessness Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.