General

The members act through lawful meetings of the Council - by resolution passed by majority vote at Council meetings. The number of meetings which must be held by the Town Council are specified by law and the procedure at meetings is regulated by Standing Orders. Members of the Town Council are paid an allowance in respect of attendance at meetings. From 1^st January 2002 members also receive a representational payment which is a salary type payment.

Types of Meeting

The types of meetings provided in law are: -

Annual Meetings - at which the Méara Bhaile and Leas Méara Bhaile are elected by the members and nominations to other bodies are made if appropriate.

Ordinary Meetings - usually held monthly to conduct the ordinary business of the Council. Kilrush Town Council holds a meeting every month except during the month of August. The meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 4pm.

Budget Meeting - held annually between dates prescribed by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to discuss and adopt the Local Authority budget for the coming year and to set the level of rates required.

Agenda and Public Notice

A notification to attend a meeting must: -

1. Be sent or delivered to each Elected Member of the Council,
2. Specify the place, date and time of the meeting,
3. Give not less than the clear days notice of the meeting specified in the standing orders.

A notification shall include or be accompanied by an agenda listing the business proposed to be transacted at the meeting. The Order of Business is normally prescribed by Standing Orders.

Public Notice of meetings

Notice of the place, date and time of a meeting other than a budget meeting must be displayed before the day of the meeting in or at the principal offices of the local authority in a position convenient for public inspection during normal office hours.

The notice must include the agenda for the meeting or specify a place where the agenda can be inspected and in the case of a special meeting, the agenda must include a copy of the requisition.

On request, the Council is obliged to supply a copy of the public notice and agenda to any person seeking such copy.

Failure to display or to supply a copy of a notice does not affect the validity of a meeting or of any act or thing done at the meeting.

The Méara Bhaile may call a meeting at any time, or any five members may call a meeting if the Mayor, after a requisition by five members to do so, refuses. The business to be transacted is that specified in the summons to a meeting which must be served on the members before the meeting as specified in the standing orders. The names of members present are recorded as well as the names of members voting for or against on each question. The Méara Bhaile, or if he/she is absent, the Leas Méara Bhaile, presides. If both are absent, members choose a Councillor to take the chair. In the case of a split vote, the Mayor has second or casting vote, except in the election of the Méara Bhaile.

Business of Meeting

The Méara Bhaile chairs Council meeting and has a casting vote which he/she may use at his/her own discretion in the case of an equality of votes except in the election of the Méara Bhaile. In the absence of the Méara Bhaile the Leas Méara chairs the meeting.

Quorum

Before a Council Meeting takes place there must be a quorum. A quorum may be defined as the minimum number of members required to be present for a valid meeting to take place. The quorum for a meeting of a Local Authority is one fourth of the total number of members of the Local Authority plus one. In Kilrush Town Council the quorum for a meeting is four members.

Attendance at Meetings

The Town Manager has a right to attend Council Meetings and to take part in discussions as if he were a member but she/he does not have a right to vote. Other Council staff attend as required.

Members of the public are permitted to attend Council meetings, as the capacity of the Council Chamber allows. The Press are permitted to attend Council Meetings.

Minutes

Written Minutes of each meeting are the resolutions adopted are prepared by the meetings administrator and town clerk. These minutes are circulated with the agenda for the next monthly meeting for confirmation. The are then signed by the Méara Bhaile and the Town Clerk, following being proposed, seconded and agreed at that meeting. Minutes are a written record of decisions taken at a meeting and speeches or arguments are generally not included. A copy of the minutes of a meeting when confirmed are available for inspection at the offices of Kilrush Town Council during normal office hours.