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

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Connolly

            SECONDED by Cllr. Holland

It was AGREED to adopt the minutes of the Plenary Meeting of 15.12.2025

Housing Part V Proposal

Cllr Fitzmaurice raised the matter regarding his proposal that 10% of Part V developments are allocated to Affordable Housing.

The Chief Executive recommended referring the proposal to the Housing SPC for discussion, with its recommendations to be brought back to the Council in due course.

Cllr. Fitzmaurice accepted this advice.

Cllr. Keogh further added that an issue is the housing income threshold set for the county not being on par with neighbouring counties.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Keogh

              SECONDED by Cllr. Fallon

It was AGREED to write to the Minister for Housing requesting that the income threshold for social housing support be increased to €35,000 for a single individual, in line with neighbouring counties including Westmeath, Galway and Mayo.

Correspondence Queries

Enquiries were made from Members regarding responses to correspondence issued from previous Notices of Motions.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Callaghan advised that any response received would be included in the correspondence pack.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

It was raised that the CPG would be with TII in the coming weeks at the request of the Council.

·        Report for Q4 2025

·         Management Report for Q4 2025 noted.

There were no items to report under this agenda item.

Noted as circulated in advance of the meeting.

Director of Services, Caitlín Conneely outlined the programme as circulated and endorsed by the CPG which sets out the training requirements for Elected Members for 2026.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fitzmaurice

            SECONDED by Cllr. Connolly

It was AGREED to approve the Training and Development Programme for Elected Members.

Audit Committee Report on the AFS 2024 noted.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Keogh

            SECONDED by Cllr. Fitzmaurice

It was AGREED to adopt the Audit Committee Work Programme 2026.

Ready-mix concrete has risen from circa €69/m³ in 2020 to €140/m³ today almost a 100% increase, five times CPI inflation circa 19.4%, which would suggest pricing closer to €80/m³, particularly given abundant local quarry materials. Concrete and cement are essential to housing delivery, foundations, slabs, blockwork, renders, roof tiles, drainage and related works, yet pricing lacks  any oversight.

This Council calls on Government to urgently introduce transparent monitoring and reporting, and enforceable controls, to curb excessive cost of building homes which has almost doubled  over the past five years. To build a two bed Apartment In Dublin now costs €600,000.

Notice of Motion from Cllr. Crosby

Ready-mix concrete has risen from circa €69/m³ in 2020 to €140/m³ today almost a 100% increase, five times CPI inflation circa 19.4%, which would suggest pricing closer to €80/m³, particularly given abundant local quarry materials. Concrete and cement are essential to housing delivery, foundations, slabs, blockwork, renders, roof tiles, drainage and related works, yet pricing lacks any oversight.

This Council calls on Government to urgently introduce transparent monitoring and reporting, and enforceable controls, to curb excessive cost of building homes which has almost doubled over the past five years. To build a two bed Apartment in Dublin now costs €600,000.

The Meetings Administrator read the following reply:

This motion requires a resolution of the Council.

Cllr. Crosby reiterated that the situation has escalated significantly and that no regulatory controls are currently in place.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Callaghan expressed full support for the motion, noting the substantial and unjustified increase in costs associated with building both homes and agricultural structures.

Members voiced strong support for the motion and raised the following points:

• The price increases amount to price gouging.
• Covid?19 and the war in Ukraine are frequently cited as reasons, but these do not justify such significant price hikes.
• It is now cheaper to buy a house than to build one.
• The situation is unsustainable.
• Individuals are going into lifelong debt to build homes.
• The cost of building is directly contributing to missed housing targets.
• It can cost close to €500,000 to build a house in rural Ireland.
• Inflation is out of control.
• Young people want to build homes in their local communities, yet many will never be able to afford to in the current climate.
• The crisis could lead to depopulation and negatively affect local schools and communities.

Cllr. Crosby reiterated his concerns and added that road construction and improvement costs have also multiplied, despite plentiful raw materials. He thanked the Members for their support.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Crosby

            SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

It was AGREED to write to the Minister for Finance, Minister for Housing, the Minister responsible for price controls and the Taoiseach to urgently introduce transparent monitoring and reporting, and enforceable controls, to curb excessive cost of building homes which has almost doubled over the past five years.

No further business.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Connolly

            SECONDED by Cllr. Brennan

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

Congratulations to Gemma Casey from St. Dominic’s GAA Club who won the All-Ireland Scór na nÓg Solo Singing Competition and the Padraig Pearses GAA Club who participated in the All-Ireland Scór na nÓg Story Telling and Novelty Act Competitions.

Sympathies to member of staff Catriona McCarthy on the sad passing of her brother recently and to the families of Teresa McCormack, John Clarke and Bernie Carty on their recent passings.  

None.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Callaghan welcomed Mr. Sean Mulryan, Chairman and Chief Executive of Ballymore Group, Mr. David Killion, Development Director Ballymore, Ms. Josephine Feehily, Chair of Governing Body of TUS and Professor Brian MacCraith, former President DCU and Senior Advisor to the President of Arizona State University attending on behalf of the Athlone 2040 Steering Group.

He acknowledged Mr. Mulryan’s Roscommon roots, and his significant achievements in the property development industry including his recent receipt of the Freedom of London. He thanked Cllr. Brennan for proposing the invitation and expressed appreciation to the attendees for their willingness and promptness in attending.

Cllr. Callaghan outlined the ambitions of the Athlone 2040 project, Ireland’s first proposed Green City, and emphasised its importance for Athlone’s future development and the wider benefits to County Roscommon. He confirmed the Council’s commitment to working closely with Westmeath County Council to progress the initiative.

Mr. Mulryan thanked the Council and Executive for the opportunity to present the Athlone 2040 vision. He explained that the project originated eight years ago in response to congestion and capacity issues in Dublin and a desire to identify a sustainable national solution. Drawing on European examples, the Steering Group identified Athlone as the optimal location due to its central location and the presence of a strong university, which will anchor the project. He noted the significant economic, employment and population benefits anticipated for Roscommon and the Northwest Region, including an ambition to increase TUS Midlands student numbers from 6,000 to 25,000.

Mr. Killion presented the key drivers of the project: meeting projected population growth, achieving regionally balanced development, supporting the green transition, aligning with the National Planning Framework, addressing sustainability challenges, supporting the Programme for Government, and delivering sustainable, affordable housing and high-quality employment.

He outlined the six core pillars:

• Education & Skills
• Green Buildings & Infrastructure
• Nature Restoration & Biodiversity
• Innovation & Employment
• Sustainable Energy & Transport
• Design & Planning

Key objectives within these pillars include a 5,000?student eco?village, developing Athlone as a “15?minute sponge city”, achieving 90% renewable energy usage, enhanced intercity rail services, an innovation hub, eco?tourism initiatives, and a Smart City Digital Twin.

Professor MacCraith highlighted the project’s two central drivers: the Green Agenda and digital transformation, emphasising the importance of achieving net?zero emissions and establishing the innovation hub.

Ms. Feehily noted that TUS Midlands is a thriving campus but has reached capacity for student accommodation. She stressed the importance of attracting international students for both cultural diversity and economic benefit and advised that TUS Midlands has recently been awarded Professorships—an important milestone in advancing the university’s academic ambitions.

Mr. Killion added that the Athlone 2040 model is replicable in other towns as it leverages existing assets including the university, established town centre, the River Shannon, and current transport infrastructure. He noted that delivery mechanisms would draw on models such as Dublin IFAC, the Source Protection Zones (SPZs) and the London GLA approach, supported through collaboration between national Government, Local Authorities, District Councils and industry. Funding will be required from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.26