* For the latest health advice and updates on Covid-19 see: www.gov.ie/ or www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ *
In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and in accordance with the HSE guidelines, Galway City Council has put some restrictions on services in place.
In the interest of public health, Galway City Council is encouraging all customers to deal with us online or over the phone on 091 536400
The following service restrictions are in place:
Customer Services |
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Our Customer Service team is in place at 091 536 400 between 9.00am and 5.00pm. Please call us if you have a critical issue. Our out-of-hours emergency service remains in place outside those hours. Galway City Council Customer Service counter at City Hall is open from 9.00am – 4.00pm daily (Mon - Fri), for queries that cannot be dealt with over the phone. Entry to City Hall will be limited to conform with social distancing requirements. All payments to Galway City Council can be made over the telephone – 091-536400 during office hours or online – www.galwaycity.ie. If you usually pay by cash here at our offices, please consider these alternative options now. |
Housing |
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The Housing Office will operate an appointment only basis. If you wish to make an appointment, please call 091 894370 or email housing@galwaycity.ie. Housing queries can be made via phone or email or post. Please e-mail Housing at housing@galwaycity.ie or telephone 091 536400. For all HAP queries, please email hap@galwaycity.ie only. COVID-19 : HPL1 Temporary Process Social Housing applicants and applicants for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan should note that in light of the Covid-19 emergency, a temporary alternate arrangement has been put in place that will remove the need for them to have to obtain a physically completed HPL1 form from Revenue, either in person, by post, or by Revenue’s online systems ROS/MyAccount. Instead, the applicant can request that Galway City Council undertake an electronic process to obtain the information from the Revenue Commissioners. Persons who wish to avail of this option should contact Galway City Council at housing@galwaycity.ie and request that the relevant HPL1 information be obtained on their behalf by the local authority.Please complete letter of authorisation Important Notice in respect of HAP tenancies In light of the COVID-19 situation and recent announcements made by Government in relation to measures being taken to combat the spread of Covid-19, HAP tenants are advised of the following information, to ensure the continuity of HAP tenancies: · If a HAP tenant does not experience any change in financial circumstances as a result of the steps being taken to combat the spread of COVID-19, there should be no change to the operation of the scheme – HAP payments will continue to be made to the landlord and the tenant’s differential rent will continue to be collected; · If a tenant does experience a change in financial circumstances on foot of COVID-19, those tenants should contact the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and apply for the relevant supports https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cb3726-jobseekers-payments/ · To offset a requirement to present in person at Galway City Council Offices, documentation received from DEASP should then be scanned / photographed and submitted to hap@galwaycity.ie as soon as possible as proof of a change in financial circumstances, ·The possibility of Galway City Council staffing levels being reduced may lead to delays in differential rent amounts being amended – this will not affect your HAP payment to your landlord. ·Differential rent arrears that accumulate following the submission of DEASP documentation during the COVID-19 measures will be re-assessed and rectified, as appropriate, by Galway City Council in due course– this will not affect your HAP payment to your landlord. Housing Rent Galway City Council is encouraging all customers to deal with us online or by telephone. If you usually pay your housing rent in cash through the Cash Office in City Hall, please make alternative arrangements to pay your weekly rent. Payment can be made over the phone or online. If you are unable to make alternative arrangements, please email housing@galwaycity.ie or call (091) 536400. If your income has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and you require a reassessment of your rent, please complete the form below and email to housing@galwaycity.ie. A member of the Housing Rents team will be in touch. COVID19 Rent Adjustment Form.docx COVID19 Rent Adjustment Form.pdf Housing Loans and Tenant Purchase Scheme Galway City Council is encouraging all customers to deal with us online or by telephone. Please do not call to City Hall in person to seek updates relating to your application. Queries can be sent to housing@galwaycity.ie or call (091) 536400. Housing Estate Liaison Officer The Housing Estate Liaison Officers will continue to provide support to our tenants and can be contacted by phone or by email. However, face-to-face meetings and house visits cannot be facilitated. |
| Housing Response Maintenance
As part of the ongoing effort to restrict the transmission of the COVID19 virus Housing Maintenance activity is being restricted. As and from Friday 13th March all Response Maintenance requests are being screened. Requests deemed critical following assessment will be addressed immediately. Non-essential maintenance requests will be logged and will be dealt with at a later stage when the situation changes and current restrictions are lifted. Tenants who raise a maintenance request will receive a return call to facilitate such an assessment, they will be advised at that point with regard to the categorization of the issue and the level of response. Critical items include –Electrical faults / Plumbing issues / Heating systems faults / Significant building fabric or structural issues. Items which will be categorized as non-critical include (non exhaustive list): Boiler/stove replacements / Draught complaints / Internal repairs – tiles/flooring, window sills, timberwork etc. / Sanitary ware / Dampness/condensation / Wall cracks/decoration / Glass replacement / Boarding up windows and doors / Leaking gutters & downpipes / Fascia and soffit repair / Outhouses & sheds / External walls, gates & fences Consideration will be given to elderly and/or vulnerable tenants when response assessment is being carried out. This measure is being put in place to protect the health of tenants’ our own and contract staff and the wider community. |
Planning |
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Galway City Council, Planning Section wish to advise that the re-opening of the planning office to members of the public in the initial period will be by appointment only with the viewing of live files being a priority. Please be advised that there may be delays in obtaining an appointment given the space limitation for compliance with social distancing. Therefore we would ask our customers to consider visiting the planning office only where business cannot be conducted by other means. In line with national guidelines, where information is required, the contact in the first instance should be via the local authority website, where planning files and other information is available to be viewed online at www.galwaycity.ie . Should further information or clarification be sought, members of the public are encouraged to contact the planning department by email at planning@galwaycity.ie or telephone 091 536599. (Please note, for those unfamiliar with the navigation of our website, our planning staff can assist you with the process). Should it be necessary to visit the planning offices, customers should contact the planning office by telephone at 091 536599 to make an appointment to visit the offices, in order to comply with Health & Safety of both the public and staff and to ensure compliance with social distancing measures currently in place. Please note that members of the public visiting the planning department will be asked to provide information for the purposes of contact tracing. |
Transport |
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The Transport Department currently has no service closures / restrictions in place. |
Recreation & Amenity |
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Bohermore and Rahoon Cemeteries have returned to normal opening hours: - Monday 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. For further funeral information please discuss with your undertaker. Community Centres have now re-opened with some additional Covid measures. Please contact 087 1872270 for further details on the additional Covid measures that are in place Pitches and outdoor basketball and tennis courts have reopened. Galway City Council playgrounds are open: Children using Galway City Council Playgrounds are to be SUPERVISED by a PARENT or GUARDIAN AT ALL TIMES. Parents or Guardians are REQUIRED: 1. To bring their own hand sanitiser for the cleaning of their children’s hands before, at regular intervals during and after use of the playground equipment. In the absence of such sanitation parents or guardians are requested to refrain from allowing their children use of the equipment. 2. To ensure physical distancing between children 3. To advise children to avoid touching their face, eyes, nose and mouth. 4. To ensure children under your care have regard to the safe use of equipment and to the safety of others at all times. 5. To adhere to the most up to date health advice. |
Economic Development, Community and Culture |
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·A Covid-19 Community Response Forum has been put in place for Galway City, co-ordinated by Galway City Council. A dedicated community support helpline and email address has been launched for Galway City, to assist at-risk members of the public in accessing non-emergency and non-medical supports and advice. Call 1800 400 150 or email covidsupport@galwaycity.ie. Available 7 days a week from 9.00am to 5.00pm. Included in the COVID-19 Galway City Community Response Forum are: Galway City Council Full details on the Galway City Community Response Forum can be found here . (A privacy notice for the Community Call Helpline can be viewed here) Galway City Museum will reopen its doors on Tuesday 18th May at 10am. Admission remains FREE but TICKETS will be an essential requirement. www.galwaycitymuseum.ie Galway City library buildings will reopen on Tuesday, 11th May with the following opening hours: Ballybane Library: Tuesday to Saturday inclusive 11.00-1.00 and 2.00 -5.00pm Galway City Library: - Tuesday to Saturday inclusive 10.30 -1.00 and 2.00-5.00pm Westside Library: Tuesday 2.00-5.00pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10.30 -1.00 and 2.00-5.00pm Saturday: 10.30 - 1.00 and 2.00-5.00pm . |
Environment and Climate Action |
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The Civic Amenity Site at Liosban will be open at the following hours. Monday - Thursday: 1pm – 3.30pm Friday: 10.00am – 1.00pm Saturday: 8.15am - 12.30pm The spring clean initiative has has resumed. The Bulky Goods Collection Service remains in operation. Household Waste Collection Services in Galway City Notice from the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) Please be advised that it has been agreed in accordance with condition 6.6.12 of the household Waste Collection Permits that no time limit will apply to the collection of household kerbside waste for the duration of the current COVID -19 health crisis. For the duration of the current COVID -19 health crisis there will be no time limit on the collection of household kerbside waste in Galway City. If you have any queries on the above please email wastecollectionpermits@galwaycity.ie Managing your waste. - Continue to present your waste for collection on your regular collection day unless advised otherwise by your waste collector- Disinfect handles of bins before and after collection - Wipes, cloths and gloves can be placed in your general waste bin/bag - Do not flush wipes down the toilet If households are self-isolating / quarantined, they will need to manage their waste as outlined by the HSE below. - Put all the waste that you have used, including tissues and masks, in a plastic rubbish bag. Tie the bag when it is about three-quarters full. Place the plastic bag in a second bin bag and tie the bag.- Treat all cleaning waste in the same way. - Do not put the rubbish bags out for collection for 72 hours. After that, the bags can be put out for collection in regular domestic waste. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/self-isolation-and-limited-social-interaction.html Further details on www.mywaste.ie If you have any queries on the above please email wastecollectionpermits@galwaycity.ie |
Water Services |
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The Water Services Department currently has no service closures / restrictions in place. Irish Water in partnership with Galway City Council is asking businesses to conserve or turn off water in buildings that are temporarily closed or vacant. |
COVID-19 – Mortgage Payment Break for local authority borrowers |
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Three Mortgage Payment Breaks (in tranches of 3 months) up to a maximum of nine months in total have been offered to Housing Loanees who experienced a reduction in income arising from the COVID-19 emergency and who were unable to make repayments on their home loan. Borrowers who have a mortgage from Galway City Council were contacted and given the option of a mortgage payment break if they suffered, or were likely to suffer, an income reduction due to the COVID-19 emergency that affected their ability to pay their mortgage. The closing date for first time applicants applying for their first mortgage break for a mortgage payment break of up to three months was 31st December 2020. Applicants who applied for an initial 3 month payment break before the 31st December 2020 will have the potential to apply for a second and third three month payment break if required, bringing the total duration of the three mortgage payment breaks to a maximum of nine months. No further announcements have been made regarding further mortgage breaks to new applicants in 2021.Galway City Council will continue to engage with Housing Loanees, in particular with those who continue to face difficulties due to the COVID-19 emergency. Further information can be obtained from the Debt Management Unit DMU@galwaycity.ie or 091536514
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COVID-19 – Restart Grants |
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The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus Scheme is now closed for applications since midnight on Saturday 31st October 2020. The Government launched the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) as part of Budget 2021. This scheme will operate from 13 October 2020 to 31 March 2021. The CRSS is a targeted support for businesses significantly impacted by restrictions introduced by the government to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners operates this Scheme. For further information on the scheme visit www.Revenue.ie. The key supports and resources available to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 are outlined on dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports .
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Commercial Rates Waiver 2020 |
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An initial three-month waiver of rates for businesses forced to close their business due to COVID-19, was announced in May 2020. In recognition of the fact that not only were many ratepayers forced to close business due to the public health requirements, but many that remained open suffered significant reductions in turnover, the waiver was extended from three to six months until 27 September 2020. A further extension of the waiver for the final quarter of the year (until end of December 2020) was announced bringing the total waiver to 9 months of 2020. A waiver for the nine months was applied to all businesses with the exception of a small number of categories, mainly banks, utilities, large supermarkets and corporates. The rationale for the exclusion of certain categories of ratepayers is that their operations are not as severely impacted by the pandemic. The waiver was applied as a credit in lieu of rates for the 9-month period to Galway City Council Rates Accounts. Galway City Council Rate Payers who received the waiver were notified in December. Any queries in relation to the application of the waiver should be directed to the Rates office at rates@galwaycity.ie or 091536401 / 091536856
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Commercial Rates Waiver 2021 |
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In order to continue the supports available for Businesses, and in recognition of the impact of the ongoing trajectory of COVID 19, a new commercial rates waiver is to be put in place for the first quarter of 2021 to businesses most seriously affected by government restrictions. Galway City Council is currently awaiting further information regarding the administration of this additional 3-month waiver and will be in contact with Businesses in due course. |
For the latest updates please see our social media channels: https://www.facebook.com/GalwayCityCouncil/