The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, environment, and local fire services.

The new council also took over some duties from the poor law boards of guardians in relation to diseases of cattle and from the justices of the peace to regulate explosives.

[5] Galway County Council has three representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly who are part of the West Strategic Planning Area Committee.

[6] Members of Galway County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

County Galway is divided into the following LEAs and municipal districts, defined by electoral divisions.