Agendas 2022

Agenda of December Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council to be held on Monday, 5th December 2022 at 10 am


Sligo County Council
Corporate Services,
County Hall,
Riverside,
Sligo

071 911 1111

29th November 2022

TO:  THE CATHAOIRLEACH AND EACH MEMBER OF SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL

The Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council will be held:

ON:  Monday, 5th December 2022

AT:  10.00 a.m.

IN:  Council Chamber, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo.

You are requested to attend.

Jennifer Burns
A/Meetings Administrator

 

CLÁR

  1. To note the Minutes of Meeting of Cranmore Regeneration Steering Group held on 7th July 2022 (Copy attached).
  2. To note the minutes of Meeting of Sligo-Drumcliff Municipal District held on 19th September 2022 (Copy attached).
  3. To note the minutes of Meeting of Ballymote-Tubbercurry Municipal District held on 26th September 2022 (Copy attached).
  4. To note the minutes of Meeting of Borough District of Sligo held on 17th October 2022 (Copy attached).
  5. To note the minutes of Budget Meeting of Sligo-Drumcliff Municipal District held on 24th October 2022 (Copy attached).
  6. To note the minutes of Budget Meeting of Ballymote-Tubbercurry Municipal District held on 24th October 2022 (Copy attached).
  7. To confirm minutes of Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council held on 7th November 2022 (Copy attached).
  8. To confirm minutes of Budget Meeting of Sligo County Council held on 21st November 2022 (Copy to follow).
  9. Presentation by MPACT (Moving Parents and Children Together) as agreed at Meeting of SCC Corporate Policy Group on 10th October 2022.
  10. To note Sligo County Council’s Culture & Creativity Strategy 2023 – 2027 (Report attached).
  11. To approve in accordance with Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, and Regulations thereunder, provision of assistance in the form of the Capital Assistance Scheme Loan in the amount of €168,849 to Focus Housing Association Company Limited by Guarantee in respect of No. 304 Harbour Court, Lower Quay Street, Sligo” (Report previously circulated).
  12. Request for approval to apply for a loan of €23.5m to fund capital projects (Report attached).
  13. That Sligo County Council sign the EU Mission Adaptation to Climate Change Charter (Reports attached).
  14. Business Improvement District (BID) Budget 2023 – to determine the rate of the BID levy and the Council collection charge (Report attached).
  15. To approve in accordance with Section 6 of the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1992, and Regulations thereunder, provision of assistance in the form of the Capital Assistance Scheme Loan in the amount of €92,900 to Focus Housing Association Company Limited by Guarantee in respect of Apartment B14, Citygate, Mailcoach Road, Sligo (Report previously circulated).
  16. That Sligo County Council agrees to the making of an Agreement, as presented to it, under Section 85 of the Local Government Act, 2001 (as amended) with Leitrim County Council, concerning the planning, design, construction and completion of the SLNCR Greenway Project, with Leitrim County Council being the Lead Authority.

    The making of an Agreement by a Local Authority under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) is a reserved function (Reports attached).
  17. To approve in accordance with Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, and Regulations thereunder, provision of assistance to Co-Operative Housing Ireland Society Limited, in the form of CALF Loan in the revised amount of €336,000 for the CALF P&A Acquisition of Apartments No 1-8, The Fairways, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo (Report previously circulated).
  18. To note the Quarterly Management Report for Q3 2022 (Report to follow).

 

DEFERRED MOTIONS

  1. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “Section 39 workers have not had a pay increase since 2008. I am now asking this local authority to call on the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party and the Soft Independents to increase Section 39 workers pay to the same rate of pay as their counterpart Civil servants holding similar positions of responsibility.”
  2. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this local authority calls on the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Greens and the Soft Independents in Government to make provisions ASAP to include those on Working Family Payment to avail of the Fuel Allowance Payment Scheme. A copy of this motion to be sent to all local authority within the state.”
  3. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this local authority calls on the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Greens and the Soft Independents in Government to set up statutory child maintenance service.”

 

MOTIONS

  1. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillors G. Mullaney and M. Baker:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to Rural Link and Connecting Ireland requesting a daily bus service from Carrick-on-Shannon, to include Boyle, Ballinafad, Castlebaldwin, Collooney and Sligo.
  2. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Mulvey:
    “I call on Sligo County Council to support the South Sligo community request to write to Permanent TSB bank asking that they would include Ballymote Town as a stop along its mobile bank route.

    Ballymote is serviced at present by the town’s Credit Union, and the An Post agency office but with the recent exit of Bank of Ireland and, prior to that, both Ulster Bank and AIB closing their branches in the town, there is NO mainstream bank for that region. PTSB who acquired the main Bulk of Ulster Bank Accounts in the buyout and thus people are having to travel 20+ miles to attend the branch.

    Previously a mobile bank vehicle was part of the Ulster Bank service in South Sligo which was very busy, in particular, at its stop in Ballymote town.”
  3. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. Mullaney:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to the Minister for Justice requesting clarification of Temporary Protection Status for Ukrainian citizens in Ireland with a view to allowing them to compete for work in the labour market under equal conditions enabling them to apply for longer term contracts.”
  4. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “That Sligo County Council request a progress report on the timeline for the development of the new N15.” 
  5. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “That Sligo Co Co support the ATU expression of interest application to the Higher Education Authority in building capacity for Veterinary Medicine.”
  6. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Healy:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to TII to carry out a safety assessment on the roundabouts on the N4 as a number of accidents have occurred on it.”
  7. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Walsh:
    “That Sligo County Council calls on the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner to provide the necessary resources in terms of Gardai and appropriate vehicles to the Sligo Roads Policing Unit. That the same be relayed also to the Taoiseach and Tanaiste.”
  8. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor J. Queenan:
    “Ask the Director of Services to outline the process of allocating housing to Ukrainian refugees in county Sligo and also numbers and location involved.”
  9. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Mulvey:
    “I call on Sligo County Council to write to the Ministers for both Transport and Education to instruct Bus Eireann School Transport to immediately remove the discriminatory practice of forcing drivers, who are fully qualified and have been medically assessed as fit & competent to drive for private contractors, to retire due to age.”
  10. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Mulvey:
    “I ask Sligo County Council to write to Iarnród Eireann to provide a morning train service from Connolly Station that would allow people to arrive in Sligo before 9.00 a.m., in light of the University status of Sligo ATU and the lack of student accommodation available. Also, this early morning train service would facilitate workers, 2nd level students and early morning appointments etc by people who need to be in Sligo before 9.00 a.m., as the current 10 am service from Ballymote is not suitable for many people.”
  11. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Healy:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan requesting that he writes to Bus Éireann to carry out a survey on how many students are availing of  the school bus services on a daily basis of as there is concern that school buses in the Sligo area have bus seats that are not being used on a regular basis to and from school.”
  12. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “To ask this Council to write to the Minister for Health to ask that, considering the much-publicised internal wranglings of one of the government parties on the apparent approval and funding for 4 new ICU cardiology beds at SUH , which has to be welcomed, and also considering that in 2011 there were 318 inpatient beds in SUH, in 2016 there were 291 and in 2021 there were 277 as per the DOH&C open beds report which is a reduction of 44 beds over that time; which of the current government parties could he advise should claim credit for this situation?”
  13. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillors M. Clarke and J. Queenan:
    “That Sligo County Council give a civic reception to Connacht junior hurling champions, Easkey GAA team 2022.”
  14. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Greens & soft Independents Government act immediately to engage with the retained fire services to solve the ongoing crisis in the service” 
  15. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this local Authority Calls on the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, The Greens & soft Independents Government (Dept. of Finance) to bring about much needed reforms to the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme.”
  16. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “Noting that the Minister for Housing announced in January that changes to the Tenant Purchase Scheme would enable pensioners to purchase their own home as and from the 1st of February 2022; and further noting with deep concern that, to date, the Minister has not signed the required Ministerial Direction to enable those in receipt of widows and widowers pension to purchase their own home; Sligo County Council calls on the Minister to sign the necessary Ministerial Direction without further delay.” 
  17. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “That this Council commends the initiative of the Sligo Public Participation Network on its successful application to have Sligo accepted into the AsIAm Autism Friendly Town Programme; and further the Council commits to supporting the initiative particularly in regard to making Council facilities more autism friendly.” 
  18. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Connolly:
    “That this Council would recognise the achievements of the Tourlestrane senior team and management on the occasion of winning 7 County championships in a row with a civic reception.” 
  19. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Connolly:
    “To ask Sligo Co Co again to increase the maximum Housing Adaptation Grants from €8,000 to €12,000 in line with the cost of material increase.”
  20. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor J. Queenan:
    “Ask the Director of Services Housing how many new local authority houses will be built in County Sligo in 2022.”
  21. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Sligo Co Co writes to the Minister for Health and ask that Gestational diabetes be covered on long term illness scheme.” 
  22. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Sligo Co Co writes to the Minister for Health and ask why Sligo CAMH services has no Occupational Therapists.”
  23. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Sligo Co Co calls on the government to include part time students to be eligible to receive the government tuition fee contribution.” 
  24. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “Conscious that 34 Sligo University Hospital Consultants have contacted Government Ministers and members of the Oireachtas highlighting the unacceptable conditions for patients and staff at the hospital, and further aware that representatives of the consultants presented the Minister for Health with details of the shocking conditions in the hospital when they met with him on Monday 21st of November; this Council calls on the Government and on those T.D.’s who voted for the Taoiseach to take the necessary steps to ensure that Sligo University Hospital is provided with: (1) the diagnostic medical equipment it needs for patient care (2) the necessary assistance it requires so as to recruit sufficient staff (3) the resources it requires to end the chronic overcrowding in the hospital.”
  25. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council ensure that in the interests of openness and transparency no Confidentiality clause is inserted in any legal settlement with any member of the public as the use of these clauses by other state and non-governmental organisations is for the sole purpose of protecting the organisation and not in the interests of the public and the policies of openness and transparency expected of all state and non-governmental organisations.

    And that this motion be sent to all Councils in Ireland and the HSE.”
  26. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council members clarify that the following section:
    ‘Housing policy in green belts and sensitive areas (Scenic Routes, Sensitive Rural Landscapes, Visually Vulnerable Areas)
    It is the policy of Sligo County Council to:

    P-GBSA-HOU-1 Accommodate proposals for one-off rural houses in the green belts and sensitive areas, subject to normal planning considerations including Habitats Directive Assessment and compliance with the guidance set out in Section 13.4 Residential development in rural areas (development management standards), where a housing need is demonstrated by the following categories of applicants:
    1. landowners, including their sons and daughters, who wish to build a first home for their permanent occupation on the landholding associated with their principal family residence;
    2. persons whose primary employment is in a rural-based activity with a demonstrated genuine need to live in the locality of that employment base, for example, those working in agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, horticulture or other natural resource based employment;

    AND where such persons can demonstrate that the home they propose is in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.’

    was included in the County Development Plan 2017-2023 for the specific purpose of allowing the Sons and Daughters (Plural) to reside close to the community where they grew up and where their elderly relatives may now live and that proper planning and sustainable development of the area would include being a support to their parents who are the current landowners and who may wish to gift a site for their permanent residence on their holding to their Sons and Daughters if the site meets other normal planning considerations including Habitats Directive Assessment and compliance with the guidance set out in Section 13.4 Residential development in rural areas.”
  27. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council, based on the email from National Council for the Blind on July 27th 2022, which states:

    ‘Black and white crossings afford good visual colour contrast in all lighting and weather conditions. Such contrast is of the utmost importance for people who have a vision impairment as it provides consistent guidance to remain on the correct line of travel and to cross the road safely. These crossings are also easily recognisable to drivers. The use of other colours in combination at pedestrian crossings may not afford adequate visual colour contrast in all conditions. Such colour combinations have potential to cause confusion for both pedestrians and drivers and make it difficult for pedestrians with a vision impairment to locate designated crossing points’ paint all of the grey pedestrian crossings, controlled or uncontrolled, in the black and white colours so that no difficulty can be experienced by visually impaired pedestrians or by motorists at these crossing points.”
  28. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Fox:
    “That Sligo County Council develop a policy in regard to "the downsizing scheme for the elderly" to include housing solutions which are suitable for elderly persons who find their dwellings too large for their needs.”
  29. Votes of Sympathy.
  30. Votes of Congratulations.
  31. Conferences/Training.
  32. To note the summary of proceedings of conferences attended in accordance with Section 142(5) (f) of the Local Government Act, 2001.
  33. Correspondence:
    1. Copy of resolution passed by the Members of Cork County Council regarding putting in place a full suite of end of waste criteria to support the circular economy and climate action.
    2. Email, dated 15th July 2022, from the Office of the Minister for Justice in relation to 1) Garda numbers in Sligo/Leitrim and 2) anti-social behaviour on public transport.
    3. Letter, dated 10th November 2022, from the National Transport Authority (NTA) in relation to full audit of bus stops to have bus shelters provided where possible throughout the county, together with “Identification of Shelter Locations” document.
    4. Acknowledgement letter, dated 14th November 2022, from the CEO, HSE in relation to the catheterisation lab for Sligo.
    5. Email dated 15th November 2022 from the Office of the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage in relation to increase the income thresholds for Social Housing in all Councils across the country.
    6. Acknowledgement letter, dated 15th November 2022, from the Office of the Minister for Social Protection regarding criteria for Social Welfare schemes.
    7. Acknowledgement letter, dated 15th November 2022, from the Office of the Minister for Social Protection regarding extending Free Travel eligibility to people with epilepsy.
    8. Acknowledgement letter, dated 15th November 2022, from the Office of An Tánaiste regarding reversal of proposal to ban the sale of turf.
    9. Acknowledgement letter, dated 15th November 2022, from the Office of An Tánaiste regarding staffing issues in our health service.
    10. Letter, dated 16th November 2022, from the President’s Office of the Sligo ATU in relation to gym facilities at the Sligo ATU campus.
    11. Email, dated 20th November 2022, from the Office of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding mother and baby home survivors.
    12. Acknowledgement letter, dated 18th November 2022, from the Office of An Taoiseach regarding reversal of proposal to ban the sale of turf.
    13. Acknowledgement letter, dated 18th November 2022, from the Office of An Taoiseach regarding extension of 9% VAT rate for the Hospitality sector to the end of 2023.
    14. Acknowledgement letter, dated 18th November 2022, from the Office of An Taoiseach regarding referendum on public ownership of water in the Constitution.”
    15. Acknowledgement letter, dated 18th November 2022, from the Office of An Taoiseach regarding staffing issues in our health service.
    16. Email, dated 28th November 2022, and attached letter from the Office of the Minister for Social Protection, regarding the extension of the free travel scheme to people who suffer with epilepsy.
  34. Matters arising from Minutes.
  35. Any other business.

 


Meeting Date 05/12/2022