Today on RTÉ Radio 1 Liveline, a mum from Galway called in to tell her story of an incident with a hotel in Salthill.
The mother-of-three, Eimear, told the show about the mum’s group she is a part of which brings together mums who had their babies in the same month.
Talking about the isolation new mums can feel when they are on maternity leave, Eimear spoke of how her group of December 2015 mums have been a huge help to her.
The group meets weekly in different locations for coffee around mid-morning time.
Eimear spoke about the groups meeting last Wednesday in the Salthill Hotel in Galway and told of her upset at the treatment they received.
Ten mothers showed up with their babies, many of whom were asleep in their buggies.
Eimear said that on their entry into the hotel bar, the group was informed that they couldn’t bring their buggies into the area.
According to Eimear they were extremely insistent that the buggies were not allowed in.
Offering a room where the group could store their buggies as an alternative.
Eimear said there were no rules made clear to them prior to their meeting and that there was no signage to show that buggies were not allowed.
The group didn’t complain and followed the instruction of the hotel, apparently shocked at the response they got.
Manager of the hotel, Fiona was also on the show to argue her case.
Talking about the week previous when the same group held their meeting at the hotel, Fiona said there were 12 buggies in the bar area.
She said a member of the waiting staff came to her to tell her she was very nervous about serving the group in case she might trip and fall while carrying hot drinks and food.
Fiona said she approached the group and very politely asked if they wouldn’t mind if the buggies were removed from the bar area to a room monitored by CCTV.
Fiona even said her staff would move the buggies so as not to disrupt the babies or the meeting.
Speaking of her duty of care to her customers and her staff, she said there is a health and safety issue with having that many large buggies in an area which is not suitable.
Fiona said that last week, the week in question, she did the same thing.
Approaching the group asking if it would be ok to store the buggies elsewhere.
Fiona was adamant that the group had no problems with her request.
Calling this “a rather embellished account of what happened”, Eimear said that it was not what they were being asked to do but the manner in which they were treated.
Fiona said she had received a phone call from a member of the mums group apologising for Eimear’s actions saying it was getting out of hand but Eimear argued the group was in agreement with her point.
Another mum, Janet then got involved saying she wouldn’t be happy if she was out for lunch and 12 mums and babies came in with 12 buggies.
Saying babies by their nature cause disruption so the home of one of the member’s would be a more suitable place to meet.
Fiona made the point that when the Irish Wheelchair Society meet in her hotel, they pre-book a room or request an area be set up in the bar that would make enough space for them.
One caller even suggested Eimear had a personal vendetta against the hotel saying there was no issue with what Fiona was asking and that it was quite a reasonable request.
Claire, who is a member of another mums group said they always call ahead and organise a space or a function room in which to meet.
Agreeing with Fiona’s point that buggies can take up a lot of space and that advance notice would have solved the problem, Claire did however say that mothers should be entitled to sit in the public bar area and not be confined to a function room.
With some callers suggesting community halls while others called the hotel a disgrace, this conversation was a very divisive issue with everyone having a very strong opinion.
But what do you think?
Was Eimear and her mums group treated unfairly?
Was Fiona doing the right thing in asking to move the buggies?
Or should there have been a little give and take here?
We want to know your thoughts on the issue, let us know by taking part in our poll below.
