Agendas 2024

Agenda of March Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council to be held Monday, 4th March 2024 at 10 a.m.


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

071-9111111

27th February 2024

TO: THE CATHAOIRLEACH AND EACH MEMBER OF SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL

The Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council will be held:

ON:      Monday, 4th March 2024

AT:      10.00 a.m.

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

You are requested to attend.

Sinéad Branley
Meetings Administrator

 

CLÁR

  1. To confirm minutes of Ordinary Meeting of Sligo County Council held on 12th February 2024. (Copy attached)
  2. To note minutes of Meeting of Twinning Committee held on 4th December 2023. (Copy attached)
  3. To approve the recommended funding of the Contributions to the Arts Assessment Panel 2024. (Report to follow)
  4. To approve, pursuant to Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the disposal of the freehold interest in property at 1146 Clooneen, Gurteen, County Sligo to Michael and Margaret O’Connell. (Report circulated)
  5. To approve pursuant to Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the lease of property at No. 1A Cranmore Road, Sligo and adjoining plot of land to Cranmore Community Co-operative Society Ltd. by way of a three-year lease. (Report circulated)
  6. To approve, pursuant to Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the proposed disposal of lands at Carrowgobbadagh, County Sligo. (Report circulated)
  7. To consider the Chief Executive’s Report on the Part 8 for the Public Realm Upgrades to Tubbercurry Town Centre. (Report to follow)
  8. To note pursuant to the requirements of S179A (2) of the Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Act 2022, whereby:
    The Chief Executive of the Local Authority shall inform the members of the Local Authority in relation to the development and shall provide documents, particulars or plans relevant to the development to the members.
    Notice is hereby given that Sligo County Council proposes to carry out a housing development at Carrowbunnaun Townland, Strandhill, Co. Sligo. (Report to follow)
  9. To note the Monthly Management Report for February 2024. (Report to follow)

 

DEFERRED  MOTIONS

  1. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Clarke:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to seek an update on the defective block scheme from the Minister for housing.”
  2. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Sligo County Council utilises lands where planning permission has been granted but no works have taken place to erect modular or prefabricated housing for the needs of emergency accommodation as a matter of urgency.”
  3. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Healy:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to TII regarding funding that has been spent in the County to date on the following roads N59, N15, N17, N16, N4, all these are National roads and what investment is coming into our region? There is concern with the lack of funding spent on the N17, N59, N15, and has the budget for TII reduced over the last number of years in this region?”
  4. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Healy:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to write to TII to address active Travel deficiencies in villages throughout the County within the 60kph speed limit zones on all the national routes in the county in the interest of health and safety.”
  5. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Mulvey:
    “In light of the recent storms, has Sligo County Council ever carried out a survey of dangerous trees in the county as we saw recently that many roads were blocked, and we were lucky there were no fatalities. Due to the recent storms, there are many large old dying trees that hang out over our local and regional roads that must be taken down safely and unfortunately this doesn't happen until there is a storm. Has correspondence ever been received back from government on possible assistance for landowners to cut back and remove these dangerous trees as the cost can sometimes be very high for this work to be carried out.”
  6. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor S. Maguire:
    “Following my motion which was passed unanimously last year regarding this council supporting the establishment of a women's refuge in Sligo to address the increase in rates of domestic violence and provide this much needed facility in our county. This motion seeks an update be provided regarding the progress of the establishment of a women’s refuge for Sligo and a date set for the stakeholder meeting to ensure all necessary parties are fully engaged in this important facility.”
  7. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council issue a report to members on how the Dog Fouling Regulations are enforced in County Sligo and what resources are available to deal with dog fouling in each of the Municipal Districts with regard to roadside, footpaths, walkways and cycle lanes.”
  8. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “That Sligo County Council write to the Minister for Social Protection to make some financial supports available to families of secondary school children who have turned 18 and still in full time education. The supports that were announced in the budget do not come into effect until September 2024.” 
  9. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “To request further supports from the Departments of Justice and Transport to make more road safety workshops and campaigns available to every second level school in the country by way of providing more resources to An Garda Síochána Roads Policing Units.”
  10. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Walsh:
    “Given the huge shortage of HSE office space, in multiple Departments, across Sligo, Leitrim currently, that this council contact the HSE Estates Office, the Minister for Health and our four Teachta Dála in SLWC and ascertain why the former Markievicz House Building on Barrack Street, Sligo, (Listed Building) continues to sit there idle. And that we be provided with an update on the expected Capital Submission - €100,000 for refurbishment of the building.”

 

MOTIONS

  1. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Fox:
    “That the meeting be provided with an up-to-date report in relation to the construction of the proposed Eastern Garavogue Bridge and approach roads scheme.”
  2. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “To ask the Minister for Transport to publish the AISRR as a matter of urgency.”
  3. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “To seek a progress report following on from the recent funding announcement to progress the Eastern Garavogue Bridge Project.“
  4. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Casserly:
    “To call on the Department of Transport to ask electricity companies to reduce the cost at public charging stations to incentivise people to make the switch to Electric Vehicles. Government funding is being made available to fit new public charging stations, but this should be conditional on the electricity companies being much more competitive and reducing the charging cost at public charging stations.”
  5. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. MacSharry:
    "That Sligo County Council write to the Minister for Finance asking him to inform all state agencies to maintain systems which accommodate cash transactions between them and citizens, to avoid isolation of elderly people and counteract any move to cease cash transactions."
  6. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. MacSharry:
    "That Sligo County Council would supply members with any Coastal Erosion and Flood risk management reports for any areas covered in County Sligo" 
  7. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. MacSharry:
    "That Sligo County Council would supply members with a brief report on the WRAP 11 programme which commenced in 2021, and given the huge success of Irish actors and Irish film will this programme extend beyond 2024"
  8. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor R. O’Grady:
    “That Sligo County Council write to the Minister for Health expressing our dismay and disappointment at the cuts in funding for women post Mastectomy”
  9. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this local authority call’s on this government to take urgent action to clear the backlog of apprentices training”
  10. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this local authority Call’s on this government to intensify efforts to save UNRWA. United Nations Relief Works Agency”
  11. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. Mullaney:
    “To request a report on the number of CIS applications in the system at present and the amount of grant aid required to complete them. That this Council agrees to write to the Minister for Transport requesting additional funding to complete those applications in the system”
  12. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor A. Gibbons:
    “That this Council ask  the government to act now, in regulating children’s mental health services which would drive improvements and help tackle waiting lists”
  13. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor J. Queenan:
    “Ask the Director of Services to outline how many CIS and LIS schemes are awaiting funding and has Sligo County Council been allocated monies in 2024 for these two schemes”
  14. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor J. Queenan:
    “Call on the government to allocate funding for the upgrade of the N59”
  15. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Walsh:
    “That this Local Authority be provided with a further update on the HSE’s response dated 27/04/23, to the Council’s previous motion calling on it to immediately address the lack of a hydrotherapy pool in Sligo and Leitrim for service users who urgently need this vital resource, and that this motion be copied to the Taoiseach, Tánaise, Chief Officer HSE and Head of Disability Services”.
  16. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor T. Healy:
    “To call on Sligo County Council to expresses solidarity with the farmers protesting across the country and across Europe and to call on the government to do more to protect the family farm and their livelihood”
  17. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Mulvey:
    “To ask Sligo County Council to seek an update from National Broadband Ireland (NBI) on the rollout of the National Broadband Plan in County Sligo.  If we are to achieve the target of 96% of all houses and premises having access to fibre optic broadband connections by 2026, the rollout needs to be greatly accelerated”.
  18. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “Aware:  That over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military operation four month ago;  That 85 per cent of the population has been displaced, mostly to areas that have faced repeated bombardment from Israel by land, air and sea;  That South Africa has initiated proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide ("the Genocide Convention");  this Council calls on the Government to demand that the European Broadcasting Union bans Israel from the Eurovision song contest, and further we call for a boycott of Eurovision should Israel be permitted to participate in the contest.”
  19. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “That the meeting be provided with a progress report regarding the provision of a Boardwalk to allow 24 hour safe access to the second beach at Rosses Point.”
  20. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Sligo County Council writes to the housing minister to stop global investment funds buying up entire estates and apartment blocks, depriving families and people of homes, and driving up prices”
  21. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. O’Boyle:
    “Stop granting permission for U.S. military and military contracted aircraft, including troop carriers, to land in Shannon Airport. As a supposedly neutral country, we are actively supporting war by allowing these warplanes to land in Ireland while carrying troops, weapons, and potentially prisoners”
  22. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor G. ‘O’Boyle:
    “Sligo County Council writes to the Minister of Health asking for a national independent maternity commission inquiry”
  23. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Bree:
    “That a report be provided indicating (A) the sum of money paid to private landlords under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme in 2023 (B) the sum of money paid to private landlords under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) Scheme in  2023 (C) the sum of money paid to private landlords under the Long-Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme in 2023.”
  24. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor M. Clarke:
    “Draft County Development Plan 2024 – 2030
    It has been brought to my attention that many landowners were unaware of changes proposed to the zoning of their residential lands in the Towns and Villages of County Sligo and the Sligo and Environs area, to the extent that many failed to make submissions to the review of the County Development Plan.
    I wish to propose that the Planning Section of Sligo County Council prepare a report and map to be circulated to the members of the Council in advance of the next Council meeting to:
    1. Show clearly and outline any instances where the land use zoning density for residential areas in the Draft County Development Plan is proposed to be changed from the previous Development Plan for any of the Towns and Village Plans in the county and the Sligo and Environs area.
    2.The report and map should identify any situations where the proposed zoning is different to the current zoning, in terms of any zoning change where residential density has been reduced or increased under the draft plan - for example where the present R3 land use zoning is proposed to be changed to the new eRES proposed zoning.
    3.The description of the eRES residential land use zoning term in the draft Plan, as quoted in Volume 2, page 14 of the draft CDP Plan, is vague and unclear and needs to be clarified further in the report being requested for the Council members - see the description of eRES below.
    4.The eRES residential zoning term is stated in the Draft Plan as an “existing and infill residential use Objective” -  what does the term “small-scale infill development” mean in the eRES objective?
    5. The report should also clarify if the National Guidelines on densities and layout apply to the draft Sligo CDP Plan and how the “Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities” published on 15 January 2024 by the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will apply to the draft Plan
    CDP Volume 2 page 14
    eRES     – existing and infill residential use Objective:
    Protect and enhance the residential amenity of established residential areas and their communal or public open space and allow for small-scale infill development which is appropriate to the character and pattern of development in the immediate area.
    The introduction of other compatible or ancillary uses, redevelopment and regeneration may also be considered in these areas, as long as the dominant use remains residential”
  25. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council issue a report to members on what additional activity, if any, will take place in 2024 to deal with the increased prevalence of Illegal dumping throughout our county and how the Litter Wardens are being assisted to enforce the law with regard to illegal dumping”
  26. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council apply to have Sligo Gaol included in the THRIVE Town Centre First Heritage Scheme to renovate derelict buildings in Urban Centres”
  27. To consider the following motion as submitted by Councillor D. Gilroy:
    “That Sligo County Council write to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to call on all Unions to boycott the Israeli and Russian Embassies in Dublin and all service providers to these embassies. This would include the delivery of fuel, food and other services so that the ambassadors of these countries have to logistically bring all their needs through diplomatic channels from their home countries. This will hopefully give them a very limited taste of what their governments are doing to the people of Palestine and Ukraine”
  28. Votes of Sympathy.
  29. Votes of Congratulations.
  30. To approve the Conferences/Training events as circulated.
  31. To note the summary of proceedings of conferences attended in accordance with Section 142(5) (f) of the Local Government Act, 2001.
  32. Correspondence:
    1. Acknowledgement email dated 07/02/2024 from the Office of the Minister of State in relation to Garda Station and Fire Station in Caltragh, Sligo
    2. Letter dated 08/02/024 from Cork Couty Council regarding a resolution passed by its members in relation to the VAT rate for pubs being reduced down from 23% to 17%
    3. Letter dated 08/02/024 from Cork County Council regarding a resolution passed by its members asking that the hospitality VAT rate be reverted to 9% and that the collection programme be fair and sensible
    4. Letter dated 13/02/2024 from the HSE regarding the extension of the Falls Prevention Physiotherapy Exercise Programme in Nazareth House, Sligo
    5. Email dated 13/02/2024 from the Office of the Minister of Transport regarding the Knock to Collooney Project
    6. Letter dated 14/02/2024 from the HSE regarding the provision of a Call Doc service on weekends in the County
    7. Email dated 15/02/2024 from the Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding the redevelopment of Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratory
    8. Email dated 16/02/2024 from the Office of the Minister of Transport regarding the expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network
    9. Memorial Card received on 19/02/2024 from Loreto Hogge, Ballymote
    10. Letter dated 20/02/2024 from the HSE re: St John’s Day Care Centre extension of days from a 2 day week to a 5 day week
    11. Letter dated 22/02/2024 from the HSE in response to SCC’s motion in relation to an update regarding the Decongregation Strategy policy in the Disability Sector
    12. Letter dated 22/02/2024 from SEAI in response to SCC’s motion in relation to the prioritising of the elderly and people with disabilities when they are applying for the Warmer Homes Scheme
    13. Letter dated 27/02/2024 from Office of the Minister for Rural and Community Development with regard to funding for Women’s Sheds
    14. Email dated 27/02/2024 from Office of the Minister for Health regarding the opening of Injury Units
  33. Matters arising from Minutes.
  34. Any other business.

Meeting Date 04/03/2024