The Cathaoirleach of Galway county Council, Michael Connolly says merging Galway city and county council could be bad news for many parts of rural Galway.

There’s been mixed reaction to the potential merging of the two local authorities into a new ‘Greater Galway Authority’.

It follows the publication of a long-awaited report on local government arrangements in Galway which recommends the unification of both authorities.

The Galway Local Government Committee was established by Minister for Local Government Alan Kelly in January 2015.

It was tasked with carrying out a review of local government arrangements in Galway City and County and to make recommendations for improvements.

Councillor James Charity is one of those sitting on Galway County Council who welcomes the news – he says it makes economic sense.

However, Cathaoirleach Connonlly told Midwest News today that any merger could spell further disaster for some rural areas with the city taking the share of the spoils.