PrintMinutes of February Monthly Meeting of Kilrush Town Council Held on the 9th February 2006 at 5.00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Kilrush
In Attendance
- Cllr. Christy O’Malley, Méara.
- Cllr. Tom Prendeville
- Cllr. Deirdre Culligan
- Cllr. Stephen O’Gorman
- Cllr. Colie Sweeney
- Cllr. Marian McMahon-Jones
- Cllr. Tom Clyne
- Cllr. Jack Fennell
- Ms. Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Service and Town Manager
- Ms. Fiona Mooney, Town Clerk.
- Mr. Liam O’Connor, Staff Officer.
- Ms. Geraldine Quinn, Assistant Staff Officer.
Apologies
- Cllr. Liam O’Looney
- Adoption of Minutes of January Monthly Meeting of Kilrush Town Council held on the 12th January 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Ar Moladh Cllr. Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Fennell :-
The Minutes of the January Monthly Meeting were duly adopted.
- Adoption of Minutes of Annual Budget Meeting of Kilrush Town Council held on the 8th December 2005 at 6:30 p.m.
Ar Moladh Cllr. Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Clyne :-
- The Minutes of the Annual Budget Meeting were duly adopted.
- Adoption of Minutes of RIMS Committee Meeting held on the 10th January 2006.
Ar Moladh Cllr. Clyne cuidithe ag Cllr. Prendeville :-
- The Minutes of the RIMS Committee Meeting were duly adopted.
- Draft Kilrush Town Council (Parking Places) Bye-Laws 2006.
Ar Moladh Cllr. Tom Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Tom Clyne :-
The draft proposed Kilrush Town Council (Parking Places) Bye-Laws 2006 were adopted to proceed to public notification and consultation.
- Local Government Audit Report for two years ended 31st December 2004.
Liam O’Connor, Staff Officer advised the members that it is a statutory requirement once the audit has been completed that the Audit Report is put before the council for approval.
Cllr. Culligan expressed her concern regarding Item No. 7 in the Audit Report namely the reference to the use of €400,000 capital funding. Mr. O’Connor advised that this resulted from a decision on cashflow management relating to the construction of 12 affordable houses in Shanakyle. Mr. O’Connor confirmed that no funds were owing to any agency at this stage and the borrowed funds referred to in the audit report were already fully repaid. The town manager confirmed that she was satisfied that all is now in order.
- John Paul Estate Regeneration – Approval to proceed to Part 8 for Pilot Phase.
The town clerk advised the members that the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government had approved Kilrush Town Council to proceed to part 8 of the planning process for the pilot phase. The pilot phase comprises 28 existing dwellings at 1 - 16 Willow Green and 1-8 Wood Road and 1 – 4 Sycamore Drive. She said that all households in the entire estate had been notified of this good news in a flyer dated January 2006. The flyer had set out the positive benefits for individual householders and the general community, under the headings: works to public areas; refurbishment of tenanted houses; tenant purchased houses; renovation of house boundaries and gardens.
The town clerk advised that the target date for having the planning part 8 drawings and details prepared was early March and the part 8 process was an 8 week public consultation process. After that, public procurement of a suitable contractor for the pilot phase works had to be done, in line with requirements. The town clerk said she was hopeful that a contractor for the pilot phase would be on site before the end of 2006.
- Sanction to Transfer Funds from Millennium Park Bridge project to the purchase of lands at Mescalls.
Ar Moladh Cllr. Stephen O’Gorman cuidithe ag Cllr. Tom Prendeville :-
The transfer of funds from the Millennium Park Bridge project to the purchase of lands at Mescalls was agreed to. - Ar Moladh Cllr. Fennell cuidithe ag Cllr. Prendeville:-
"That this Council request the Clare Co. Council to transfer the Motor Tax and Motor Licence offices to Kilrush.”
The Town Manager advised the meeting that preparatory work is already taking place to enable a motor tax and licensing service to be delivered from the Town Hall in Kilrush, as part of Clare County Council’s commitment to a decentralisation process. The manager said she envisaged that motor tax and motor licensing services should be operational in Kilrush by the end of the year. At that time, the Town Manager, suggested that there be an official launch by the members.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Fennell :-
"To commend the decision of Clare County Council to further promote its commendable ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ policy by not introducing recycling charges at its Recycling and Transfer Centre, Lisdeen.”
It was agreed that Clare County Council should be commended for its decision not to introduce recycling charges.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Clyne :-
"That this Council would consider allocating a modest bursary from this year’s Community Development Programme towards a local history essay/research competition confined to L.C. students at Kilrush Community School to perpetuate the memory of the late George Harratt, local historian and former esteemed council Mayor and colleague.”
It was agreed that the Town Clerk write to Mr. Rock Kirwan, Principal, Kilrush Community School regarding the members’ initiation of a bursary towards a local history essay/research competition for leaving certificate students to commemorate the late George Harratt. It was felt that it would be an incentive for students leaving school and an honour to the memory of the late Cllr Harratt.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Prendeville cuidithe ag Cllr. Sweeney :-
"That this Council welcomes the announcement of the winner of the recently EU-funded Art Feature competition, under the Urban Village Renewal Scheme and organised by Clare County Council, that will see a lifesize sculpture mounted at Cappa Pier during 2006.”
Cllr. Prendeville advised the meeting that the sculpture commission that was part of the Cappa pier scheme had been won by a sculptor whose winning design was of a person collecting periwinkles at the shore. The elected members welcomed the addition of the sculpture at Cappa Pier.
Cllr. Culligan requested that the matter of putting back supports to the newly installed public seats at Cappa be investigated.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Sweeney cuidithe ag Cllr. Prendeville :-
"That this Council would organise the 1916 Easter Rising Commemoration ceremony on Easter Sunday 2006."
Cllr. Sweeney advised the meeting that there is a small organising committee in place who will proceed with the organising of the 1916 Easter Rising Commemoration ceremony on Easter Sunday with the support of Kilrush Town Council.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Sweeney cuidithe ag Cllr. Prendeville :-
"That this Council would ask the Town Clerk to give the members a report on the Farmers Market and the Horticulture Garden project at Nagle's Terrace, Kilrush."
It was agreed to invite Michael Gleeson, the organiser of both the Farmers’ Market and the Horticulture Garden projects, to the next monthly meeting of Kilrush Town Council to give an update.
Members felt it was timely to review, now that the pilot period for the Farmers’ Market is ongoing some time.
- Ar Moladh Cllr. Sweeney cuidithe ag Cllr. Prendeville :-
"That this Council calls on Clare County Council to honour its statutory responsibilities and make funding available immediately to enable essential drainage works to be carried out at All Saints Cemetery and the Church of Ireland graveyard, Crawford Street."
Following discussion on the matter it was agreed that a letter issue to Clare County Council to request funds be made available for drainage works to be carried out at All Saints Cemetery and the Church of Ireland Graveyard.
Discussion took place regarding the disgraceful, illegal dumping of rubbish on graveyard grounds. Members expressed their full support for prosecuting offenders in any case where this was possible, via the Clare County Council environmental patrol warden’s investigation.
- Correspondence
- Letter dated 12th January 2006 from Balbriggan Town Council regarding review of policy of admitting unaccompanied asylum seeking children into Ireland. This matter received the support of Cllr. McMahon-Jones.
- Letter dated 16th January 2006 from the Office of the Minister for Education and Science regarding a P.E. teacher to three post primary schools in Kilrush, Kilkee and Kilmihil. It was agreed that a letter should issue to Mr. George O'Callaghan of the VEC regarding the appointment of a P.E. teacher to the three post primary schools in Kilrush, Kilkee and Kilmihil.
- Letter dated 19th January 2006 from Shannon Town Council regarding possible use of Irish Airports by the U.S. Administration.
- Letter dated 27th January 2006 from Ballina Town Council regarding increase in fines for parking in disabled parking spaces, etc.
- Appreciation Card received from the family of the late Pakie Brennan.
- E-mail from Kevin Mulligan, AIB Property & Facilities Management Dept. regardnig disabled access.
- E-mail from Peter Duignan, Bank of Ireland Group Property regarding disabled access.
The Mayor welcomed the return of the Town Manager, Bernadette Kinsella from maternity leave and congratulated her on the birth of her son. He thanked Nora Kaye for acting in the position of Town Manager in the absence of Ms. Kinsella.
Cllr. Fennell requested that the elected members support the people of South East Clare regarding the issue of the extension of the border and that a letter should issue to the Minister.
Cllr. Prendeville requested that the invitation be renewed to Martin Morrissey, Shannon Foynes Port Authority regarding his plans for development of the Northern Bank of the Shannon.
Votes Of Sympathy
It was agreed that a vote of sympathy should issue to the following :
- Fiona Mooney, Town Clerk on the death of her aunt, Mrs. Mary Mooney.
- Siobhán Curran on the death of her aunt Sr. Joan Cahill.
- Siobhán Curran on the death of her grandmother Margaret Curran.
- Helen Stack, Kilkee Road, Kilrush on the death of her uncle J. J. Kelly.
The meeting then concluded.
Signed : ______________________________
Cllr. Christy O'Malley
Mayor
Signed : ______________________________
Fiona Mooney
Town Clerk