Special mats that allow wheelchair users to access beaches are gathering dust in storage at Galway City Council for years - because local beaches are not suitable.
That's what a meeting of the local authority has heard, with the situation branded a complete embarrassment.
Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard didn't mince his words when he raised the matter this week.
It's an embarrassment and a disgrace, he said, before claiming the situation is making a mockery out of the idea of calling Galway a city of equality.
Nearly five years on and the mats are still sitting in storage, he said, before warning another summer can't be allowed pass by without action.
Management said the problem is that beaches in the city are simply not suitable due to their tidal nature.
It was acknowledged that the mats have been rolled out in other local authorities like Mayo, but only because they're left down all the time during the summer months.
Trying to do that in Galway City, the meeting was told, would end up with the mats floating off into the bay.
Councillor Eddie Hoare waded into the discussion, saying he was flatly refusing to accept that explanation.
Surely, he argued, it's a matter of allocating resources and ensuring people are available to manage the mats, even if just for one or two days a week during summer months.
There were no guarantees or assurances given at City Hall this week, but it remains to be seen what'll happen behind the scenes.
