Why porridge being scattered on Galway’s streets continues to be a headache for the city council
Scattered oats continue to appear across corners of Galway City, despite years of debate within the City Council over how to manage the issue. Though resolutions were promised earlier this year, one councillor has now raised renewed safety and environmental concerns, describing the porridge-covered pavements as both a hazard and an ecological nuisance.
Every month, it seems a new elected member requests an update or airs grievances on the topic, and at the October city council meeting, Cllr Frank Fahy kept up the trend, raising concern for potential accidents caused by wet porridge.
The councillor mentioned a handful of times he himself nearly tripped due to the wet mush and wonders if residents of the city have done the same “as a result of [the council’s] incompetence,” he added.
“Porridge is very slippery when it's wet. There is a danger there for people to fall and hurt themselves, and it could be life threatening to the older people if they break a hip.”
A response from a director of services relayed that there are no figures available indicating any accidents or claims made that the porridge would be responsible for.
Cllr Fahy also requested a timeline in which the issue will be taken care of, and a plan of action to do so. It was communicated to the chamber that no timeframe is available.
“There isn’t another city that I've travelled to that you see as many seagulls and pigeons.
“The wild birds are well capable of looking after themselves and what's being done by feeding them is creating an imbalance in nature,” he added. “When the feeding stops, they're going to struggle to survive.”
At the September plenary meeting the issue was raised again only this time far more councillors spoke against the continuation of the conversation in the chamber. Councillor Eibhlín Seoighthe urged her colleagues to drop the topic saying that she “hopes it does not get brought up again here.”
In May 2025, the Irish Independent reported that the local authority was near a resolution. Council officials stated at the time that HSE participation was tantamount to coming to any sort of conclusion or plan of action.
An update was promised in the proceeding months but to no avail as six months later, the issue, trivial as it seems, continues without end.
“We have littering by-laws that are not being enforced,” Cllr Fahy told the Irish Independent, “If I were to come into City Hall and start scattering porridge around the front door City Hall, would I be challenged? Would it be acceptable? No, it wouldn't.”
“It's not acceptable in downtown either.”
Despite its sensitivity, the issue continues, with Cllr Fahy noting that he does not anticipate a resolution anytime soon unless legal proceedings are initiated.