There were no Disclosures of Conflict of Interest declared by Members.

·         Minutes of Plenary Meeting held on 27.11.2023

·         Minutes of Budget Meeting held on 30.11.2023

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Crosby

            SECONDED by Cllr. Shanagher

It was AGREED to adopt the minutes of the Plenary Meeting of 27.11.2023

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fallon

            SECONDED by Cllr. McDermott

It was AGREED to adopt the minutes of the Budget Meeting of 30.11.2023

There were no matters arising.

·         Management Report November 2023

·         Management Report for November 2023 noted.

Cllr. J. Cummins noted the percentage of rates paid last year was on a par with previous year. He referred to the recently announced Government allocation of a grant to rate payers who owned small businesses – those paying rates of less than €10,000 per annum would receive a 50% rebate on their rates for the following year in the form of a grant and anyone paying between €10,000 and €30,000 would receive a grant of €5,000.

Cllr. P. Fitzmaurice said he understood the scheme would be administered through the Department of Enterprise and Employment, rather than through the local authorities and scheme is a welcome support for small businesses.

The scheme was also welcomed by the Cathaoirleach.

Sean Mullarkey, Head of Finance infirmed the members there had been no clarification from the Department as to the administration of the scheme as yet but it was likely the scheme would be administered similar to the Restart Grant for businesses.

·         3.3 acres (hA) at Monksland Td., Athlone, Co. Roscommon to Greener Ideas Ltd.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Kelly

SECONDED by Cllr. Ward

It was AGREED that the Council consent to the lease of property pursuant to the provisions of Article 206 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, Section 211 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) and Section 183 of the Local Government Act, 2001 of particulars of property which it is proposed to lease at the location in County Roscommon and to the persons set out in the schedule hereunder.  Particulars of the property which the County Council proposes to lease:

The Property:  Lands comprising 3.3 Ha (8.15 acre) at Monksland Td., Co. Roscommon.

The person(s) from whom the land was acquired: Unknown Folio RN30295F and RN40965F

The person(s) to whom the land is to be disposed of: Greener Ideas Ltd.

The consideration proposed in respect of the disposal: €750.00 per week

Term of Lease:  12 months

·         0.23 hA at Longford Castlerea, Co Roscommon to Tuath Housing Association

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. McDermott

SECONDED by Cllr. Shanagher

It was AGREED that the Council consent to the lease of property pursuant to the provisions of Article 206 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, Section 211 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) and Section 183 of the Local Government Act, 2001 of particulars of property which it is proposed to lease of at the location in County Roscommon and to the persons set out in the schedule hereunder.  Particulars of the property which the County Council proposes to lease:

The Property:  Lands comprising 0.23 ha (0.57 acres) at Longford Td., Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

The person(s) from whom the land was acquired: RN43196F (unknown), RN40270F (Martina Joyce) and RN30236F (Henry Haverty)

The person(s) to whom the land is to be disposed of: Tuath Housing Association

The consideration proposed in respect of the disposal: €1.00 per annum

Term of Lease: 200 Years

Mr. Alan Mulryan, Senior Executive Engineer with the National Roads Design Office, gave a presentation to Members on the N61 National Secondary Route between Athlone and Boyle, with a particular focus on the route between Roscommon town and Athlone, following the publication of the N61 Roscommon Town to Athlone Strategic Review, published recently.

The main points of the presentation covered:

·         Details of the national road network in the county including N61 Boyle to Athlone route and upgrade of sections recently complete.

·         Minor projects currently in design and planning on the N61 include a 4km between Tulsk and Clashaganny and a 5.5km stretch between Tulsk and Gortnacrannagh. The Clashaganny to Tulsk project will have to be restarted again following a judicial review. The Tulsk to Gortnacrannagh project is near completion.

·         As part of the N5 bypass between Ballaghaderreen and Scramoge, 2km of the N61 between Gortnacrannagh and Elphin will also be upgraded.

·         A strategic review of the N61 between Roscommon town and Athlone commenced in August 2022, led by ROD-AECOM.

·         The analysis summary of the review details:

o   Statistics on fatal, serious and minor collisions since 1996

o   The high number of junctions and direct accesses along N61- classified as very high by TII.

o   A series of 107 measures were identified to help mitigate deficiencies along the N61

o   A total of 35 measures were cited under 15 priority interventions.

o   Fifteen measures have been designated and categorised as preventative, junction optimisation and Active Travel interventions.

o   These interventions are seen as stop gap interventions in improving safety but would not address the substantive issues such as entrance and access for which a new route is the recommended solution.

·         It is proposed to impose speed limit restrictions from 100kph to 80kph from Roscommon town to Knockcroghery; from St. Brigid’s GAA club to the Hodson Bay and from Hodson Bay to Athlone.

·         Potential parking facilities have been identified at Ganly’s roundabout and at Kiltoom Cemetery.

·         In respect of junction optimisation, five priority locations identified are located at St. Brigid’s GAA grounds, St. John’s Church, Kiltoom junction, Ballybay NS and Ballymurray.

·         Active Travel priority interventions include connecting community facilities to existing Active Travel facilities in Monksland and Athlone resulting in a 7.5km  stretch of active travel provision between St. Brigid’s and Ganly’s roundabout.

·         Further priorities include upgrading existing pedestrian facilities in Knockcroghery for shared use between Greenhills and St. Dominic’s.

·         Other measures include a pedestrian crossing adjacent to Knockcroghery National School and connections the local soccer pitches in Lecarrow.

·         The fifteen priority interventions would address a further 35 measures regarded as short-term measures most in need in terms of safety.

·         The NR 2040 document downgrades the role of the N61 in providing regional connectivity between the regional centres of Athlone and Sligo.

·         Under the document, it is proposed upgrading the N55 and N4 routes as the connecting routes between Sligo and Athlone.

·         A long-standing objective of successive Roscommon County Council Development Plans to upgrade the N61 from National Secondary to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 182.23

Una Ní Chuinn, Chief Officer of the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) gave a presentation to the Members on the Draft Roscommon County Local Economic and Community 2023-2029 that has come before the members for adoption:

·         This is a six-year plan to promote economic development and improve the quality of life for those living in the county and is supported by a two-year implementation plan

·         The plan is a multi-agency one, aligned with national and regional plans and has an increased focus on sustainability.

·         Membership of LCDC (19 members) is drawn from Statutory and Non Statutory Interests.

·         There was extensive public consultation process with as many as four thousand people engaging though one-to-one initiatives, surveys and online seminars.

·         The plan identified six ‘high level’ goals and 55 actions which are consistent with the vision of the county to make it a location of choice for people to live, work, visit and play.

·         The high level goals include welcoming and celebrating communities; attracting retaining and promoting employment; vibrant culture, arts and heritage; collaboration with people working together, supporting well-being and prioritising sustainable development.

·         The goals of the plan underpin the goals of all other plans such as the Arts Plan.

·         The plan went to the NWRA for review and is consistent with their goals and objectives.

·         The LECP will inform future Rural Renewal Development Funding and Urban Renewal Development Funding (URDF) applications

·         The SPC adopted the final plan on 7^th December as did the LCDC on 13^th December. The plan had been adopted by the LCDC. If approved by members today, it will be submitted to the Minister in the New Year and published.

·         Its implementation will be monitored every two months by the LCDC (Local Community Development Company) with a review in two years’ time.

The Members welcomed the finalisation of the plan, acknowledging the wide consultation and contributions to the plan – a wide ranging plan and the blueprint for the next six years.

The Chairperson of the Economic Development and Enterprise Support (including Tourism, Culture and Libraries) SPC, Cllr. Paschal Fitzmaurice, welcome the plan and thanked everyone who contributed to it – it is a good focal point and reference to improve our county – it is also ambitious and hopefully will achieve a lot during its lifetime.

As a member of the NWRA, Cllr. Naughten said that the Assembly complemented the quality of the report – on of the best in the region.

The Chief Executive, also Chairperson of the LCDC, said considerable work had gone into the preparation of the report with a common theme to make Roscommon the best place it can be. It is sustainable and integral to everything we do in the future. He thanked everyone who contributed to the plan and assisted in its preparation.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fitzmaurice

SECONDED by Cllr. Naughten

It was AGREED to adopt the Roscommon County Local Economic and Community Plan 2023-29.

The Draft Plan sets out the actions for Roscommon County Council in 2024 for staff to deliver on the functions and services throughout the year.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Shanagher

SECONDED by Cllr. Naughten

It was AGREED to adopt the Draft Annual Service Delivery Plan 2024.

Chairperson of the Economic Development and Enterprise Support (including Arts, Tourism, Culture and Libraries) Strategic Policy Committee, Cllr. Orla Leyden, introduced the contents of the Draft Arts Plan to the Members:

·         In the Roscommon Arts Plan 2023 – 2028, the Arts Office sets out the Council’s vision, mission, strategic priorities and values based on many years of arts development and investment locally, informed by successive arts plans, review and consultation.

·         Strategic actions will be implemented that will have the most impact on arts development and public engagement in the county over the period of the plan.

·          The plan focused on four key areas, namely the working artist, supporting artists and arts professionals; public engagement and supporting children and young people in enriching their lives.

·         Consultation for the Plan included an artist consultation session at Roscommon Arts Centre, online and in-person surveys (150 detailed responses).

·         Following a presentation to the Strategic Policy Committee on PC for Economic Development & Enterprise Support (including Tourism, Culture & Libraries), the pan was recommended by the committee to be considered for adoption by the Plenary Council.

Cllr. Leyden commended the Arts Officer Rhona McGrath for the work on the Plan and noted that the front cover of the plan featured members of the Roscommon County Youth Theatre Group who will celebrate 25years in existence in 2024.

Acting Director of Services with responsibility for the Arts, Fiona Ní Chuinn paid tribute to a strong cultural team in the County Council including King House and the Arts Centre. The Plan is aligned to local policy including the new LECP, and acknowledged the Arts Programme and Creative Ireland funding.

Cllr. Fitzmaurice wished to put on record thanks to Creative Ireland and the provision of other arts funding over the past two years. It has enabled many different groups and entities to provide free arts events.

The Chief Executive Mr Shane Tiernan also welcomed the completion of the new Arts Plan and referenced the vibrant local arts sector with facilities such as King House and An Rioga in Boyle and outdoor amenities in Castlerea and Roscommon.

The Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Keogh also welcomed the new Plan and recognised that a strong and vibrant arts sector in the county is an important vehicle to promote the county and the sector could be a driver in attracting further people to visit the county.

The importance of the county’s Arts Centre was also recognised.

The roll-out of the Plan over the next six years will be eagerly anticipated by the Members.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Leyden

SECONDED by Cllr. Fitzmaurice

It was AGREED to adopt the County Roscommon Arts Plan 2023-2028

There was no Chief Executive business for discussion.

Replies to Resolutions from Roscommon County Council:

·         11^th  December , 2023 – Reply from Mr Garvan Hickey, Head of Supply & Operations, Bord Na Móna regarding Transportation of peat from Bord Na Móna bog in Cloonshannagh, Tarmonbarry, Co.  Roscommon

Resolutions from other Local Authorities:

·         12^th December, 2023 – Resolution, Clare County Council

(i)                  That Clare County Council calls on the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage to publish the 2022- 2025 Multi Annual Rural Water Programme without further delay. We are now at the end of year 2 of a 4-year programme and still we have no clarity for many active group water schemes awaiting funding.

(ii)                That Clare County Council calls on the Minister for Justice, Helen Mc Entee and the Gardaí Commissioner, Drew Harris to revisit the current model of policing as it is not fit for purpose and is based on reactionary policing and in the current times the public feel very vulnerable both in rural communities and urban communities throughout Clare and find the lack of adequate numbers of Gardaí on the ground is having a negative impact on their lives.

(iii)               That Clare County Council calls on the Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to review the Part V obligations placed on private housing developers and especially the social element and focus the obligation on the development of affordable housing and housing for people with disabilities. The current policy is a barrier to the development of private housing and especially for people in lower income categories that are struggling to secure their own home. Local authorities are best placed to deliver social housing and need to be properly resourced.

·         13^th December, 2023 – Resolution, Limerick County Council

“That, Limerick City and County Council write to the Minister for the Environment Climate and Communications, Mr Eamon Ryan, TD, asking when the wind energy development guidelines will be revised and updated.”

Other Correspondence:

·         24^th November, 2023 – Letter from Mr Diarmuid O’Leary, Principal, Local Government Governance & Elected Members Section regarding the Gratuity Scheme for Councillors.

·        Approval of payment for Elected members for attendance at conferences and events

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Cummins

            SECONDED by Cllr. Byrne

It was AGREED to adopt the list of payments for training and conferences as circulated.

·         Cllr. Waldron highlighted an event in Ballintubber on 10^th December at 2pm – A Rambling House event. It is supported by ALONE as founder Willie Bermingham’s wife was from Roscommon.

·         Cllr. Shanagher thanked the Facilities Staff for the festive display in the foyer of the Áras. The Cathaoirleach encouraged people to come and view the display.

·         The Cathaoirleach thanked the Members and Management Team and staff for their support in 2023 and wished everyone a happy Christmas and New Year.