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

·         Minutes of Special Meeting 26^th May 2025

·         Minutes of Monthly Meeting 26^th May 2025

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Connolly

            SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

It was AGREED to adopt the minutes of the Plenary Meeting of 26.05.2025.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fallon

            SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

It was AGREED to adopt the minutes of the Special Meeting of 26.05.2025.

There were no matters arising.

·         Report for May 2025

·         Management Report for May noted.

·         Lease of Office Space comprising a net internal area of 620m2 located on the first floor of Monksland Innovation Hub.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Keogh

           SECONDED by Cllr. Connolly

It was AGREED that the Council consent to the disposal 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 lands which it is proposed to dispose of at the location in County Roscommon and to the persons set out in the schedule hereunder.  Particulars of the land which the County Council proposes to dispose:

The Land:  Office space comprising a net internal area of 620m² located on the first floor of Monksland Innovation Hub.

The person(s) from whom the land was acquired: John and Margaret Geehan, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.

The person(s) to whom the land is to be disposed of: Alkermes Pharma Ireland Limited

The consideration proposed in respect of the disposal: €154,929 plus VAT per annum

The term proposed in respect of the disposal: 5 Years

Members welcomed this disposal of office space and made the following points:

• It is great to see this investment in the Athlone area.
• Acknowledgement and praise for the Executive.
• It was questioned if there is a clause in the contract to review the rent after 5 years, and if so, would the review be index linked.

Director of Finance Sean Mullarkey confirmed that the rent will be reviewed after 5 years.

·         Sale 0.15 Ha of lands in Lugnamuddagh, Boyle.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Byrne

           SECONDED by Cllr. Moylan

It was AGREED that the Council consent to the disposal 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 lands which it is proposed to dispose of at the location in County Roscommon and to the persons set out in the schedule hereunder.  Particulars of the land which the County Council proposes to dispose:

The Land:  Site comprising of 0.15 Ha (0.37 Ac) in Ludamuddagh, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.

The person(s) from whom the land was acquired: Unknown (First registration with Roscommon County Council in April 1942)

The person(s) to whom the land is to be disposed of: Coras Iompair Eireann (CIE)

The consideration proposed in respect of the disposal: €1,000

·         Lease of office space comprising a net internal area of 130m2 located on the second floor of An Ríoga, Boyle.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Moylan

           SECONDED by Cllr. Callaghan

It was AGREED that the Council consent to the disposal 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 lands which it is proposed to dispose of at the location in County Roscommon and to the persons set out in the schedule hereunder.  Particulars of the land which the County Council proposes to dispose:

The Land:  Office space comprising a net internal area of 130m² located on the second floor of An Ríoga, Boyle.

The person(s) from whom the land was acquired: Shirley Regan, 10 Glencarrig, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim.

The person(s) to whom the land is to be disposed of: Coillte Cuideachta Ghníomhaíochta Ainmnithe

The consideration proposed in respect of the disposal: €12,600 per annum

The term proposed in respect of the disposal: 10 Years

Members welcomed this leasing of office space and made the following points:

• It is great to see the building at full capacity.
• It was noted that the rent amount was quite low.
• It was questioned if there would be an option for local community groups to take over the lease when the current term of rental has expired.
• It was questioned if there is a clause in the contract to review the rent after 5 years, and if so, would the review be index linked.
• Praise for the Council for acquiring the building which was derelict and an eye-sore to the town for many years and without the work, it would still be derelict.

Director of Finance Sean Mullarkey advised that two independent valuers were engaged to review the market rent in Boyle and recommended the rent amount. He added that the semi-state body were previously located in Lough Key, and this lease would create more available space in Lough Key, coinciding with the Lough Key Masterplan. He confirmed that the second floor had been designated as office accommodation while the ground floor had been designated for arts related activities so it is unlikely that the lease for this area would be offered to community groups. He explained that the aim is to ensure vibrancy in the middle of the town, and by attracting employment to the building, more money would be spent in the town.

Members welcomed Mr. Mullarkey’s clarification and discussed the following:

• Acknowledgement for designating the ground floor for arts.
• Praise for seeking RRDF funding for projects such as this.
• Acknowledgement for the benefit of creating space in Lough Key.
• Reiteration that a rent review/break clause should be provided for in the contract.
• Acknowledgement that the market value was carried out professionally.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fitzmaurice

           SECONDED by Cllr. Keogh

It was AGREED that Roscommon County Council seek further RRDF and URDF funding for derelict buildings in towns throughout the county.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Liam Callaghan added that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.25

·         Adoption of Draft Roscommon Heritage Strategy

With the agreement of members, this item was deferred until the July plenary meeting.

·         Adoption of Draft Litter Management Plan

Cllr. Marty McDermott, Chairperson of the Climate Action, Environment, Rural Water SPC, introduced the presentation of the Draft Litter Management Plan, which had recently been approved at the SPC meeting, and asked Members for their support in adopting the plan. He outlined that the plan was aligned to key policy documents to ensure a cleaner, safer, healthier county.

Sabrina Lawless, Administrative Officer in the Environment Department, delivered a presentation on the Draft Litter Management Plan.

In the presentation, she outlined the following:

• Roscommon County Council is obliged to make and implement a Litter Management Plan as set out in Section 10 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 (as amended) in order to set forth our objectives as an authority to prevent and control litter, include public awareness with a view to eliminating litter pollution and provide information on existing policies, programmes, facilities/services and steps to be taken by local authority to enforce the provisions of the Litter Pollution Act.
• The plan was developed with input from the SPC and public consultation. It provides a clear actionable framework for litter prevention and management and signals the Council’s commitment to cleaner, more sustainable communities.
• The plan required three phases: the drafting phase, the statutory consultation phase, and the adoption phase.
• The four objectives of the plan are education and awareness, enforcement and prevention, community and business partnerships and services and facilities.
• Progress updates on the plan will be provided through the SPC.
• Annual reporting will be completed in line with the Litter Pollution Act requirements.
• Regular reviews of performance indicators such as The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System and Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) will be carried out.
• The environment department will use complaints data and enforcement statistics for reporting and engage with community groups for local feedback.

Members thanked Ms. Lawless for the informative presentation and discussed the following:

• Views were expressed that fines for illegal dumping should be increased, as the cost of clearing the litter—after deducting any fines—can still cost the Council, even if the case goes to court.
• Recognition for Tidy Town groups, litter wardens and the environment section for their hard work on the issue.
• Acknowledgment that education of the issue should start in primary school.
• Acknowledgment that compost bins will be rolled out to all households by the end of the year.
• Praise for the reverse register initiative, although there are concerns that there is a GDPR issue within the reverse register initiative.
• It was advised that CCTV in blackspots would help greatly.
• Suggestion that dog fouling bags should be made more available throughout the county.
• Praise for the adopt a road/bring bank initiatives.
• Acknowledgment that litter is reducing but that it is still a major issue.
• Concern that the emptying of public bins on the weekends and Bank Holidays needs to be more frequent.
• Return deposit scheme bins for cans/bottles can be sought for events/festivals.
• Suggestion of ‘No Dogs Allowed’ signs to be erected in graveyards.
• Concern that street cleaning machines were promised in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.25

·         Adoption of Small Business Support Waiver Scheme

Cllr. Keogh, Chairperson of the Economic Development, Enterprise and Regeneration Strategic Policy Committee, introduced the Small Business Support Waiver Scheme (SBSW Scheme), which was approved at the SPC meeting on 9th June 2025, and asked Members for their support.

Director of Finance Sean Mullarkey gave a presentation outlining the scheme. He advised that the SBSW Scheme aims to provide support and stability for small businesses to assist with the annual operational costs of their business and to provide a targeted support and a stable approach for the SME sector in relation to the payment of commercial rates. He added that it also ensures that enterprises remain attracted to doing business in Roscommon and that a number of neighbouring Local Authorities have similar schemes in place.

The total revenue generated from the payment of rates equals €13.8 million, which includes €1.4 million from vacant commercial properties that currently get a 100% write off of their rates. The highest 85 customers pay over €20,000 while 1487 customers pay €3,000 and below.

Mr. Mullarkey explained that the margin gap is capped at 5% between the under €20,000 group and the over €20,000 group. E.g. If rates are increased by 7.5% for over €20,000 group the under €20,000 group will automatically increase by 2.5% to maintain the margin. E.g. 2 If rates are increased by 2.5%, rate increase applied to all rate payers. He added that the scheme will allow for a margin of 5% to be applied on any rate increase, meaning rate payers currently under €20,000 group will increase by 0%. The revenue from this will be used to fund projects in the county in the future.

Mr. Mullarkey outlined that a notice was published in the local newspapers and on the Council website in March 2025 inviting submissions or observations from the public by 28th March 2025. There were no submissions received within the timeframe.

The idea of the scheme was first raised at the previous Budget Meeting in November when rates were increased but the scheme was required to be considered at SPC level before being brought to Members for approval.

Members supported the SBSW Scheme and raised the following points:

• It is a great initiative which will ensure that increasing of rates would not have a great impact on smaller rate payers, who are the backbone of the economy within the county.
• Although some councillors were not in favour of increasing rates last year, the increased investment in local projects, supported by rates payments, is hugely positive.
• This scheme will give flexibility to smaller businesses who are struggling.
• Widespread praise for the finance section and the SPC for their work on the scheme.

Cathaoirleach Cllr. Callaghan outlined that smaller businesses, especially those in rural areas, are hugely affected by increases in rates and many businesses struggle when this occurs. He advised that this scheme would safeguard businesses against such increases.

Cllr. Ward noted that he had not supported increasing rates at the last Budget Meeting due to the strain  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.25

·         Ratification of Martina Hourigan, Social Inclusion Representative from the Public Participation Network to the Local Community Development Committee.

The Meetings Administrator stated that approval is sought for the appointment of a sectoral representative to the LCDC committee as circulated.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Fallon

               SECONDED by Cllr. Connolly

It was AGREED to approve the following sectoral nominee for the LCDC committee.

Noted as circulated in advance of the meeting.

That Roscommon County Council writes to the Minister for Health in relation to the closure of the Sacred Heart Hospital Church.

The closure of the church has caused untold upset to those residing in the Sacred Heart Hospital and to their families. This is a massive loss to the staff working there and the wider community that also used the Church for prayer.

With the agreement of members, this motion was deferred until the July plenary meeting.

We are calling on Roscommon County Council to write to Inland Fisheries and the relevant minister, to remove the remove coarse fishing and pike fishing fees for County Roscommon from the Midlands fishing permits. The fishing sector has seen a significant drop in interest in the county due to the above mentioned fees and it is having detrimental impact on tourism in the county.

With the agreement of members, this motion was deferred until the July plenary meeting.

Nothing further to note.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Keogh

            SECONDED by Cllr. Fitzmaurice

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

Circulated at the meeting.

SHE - See Her Elected Events

Cllr. Cull acknowledged the SHE – See Her Elected Events that took place over the last number of months supporting women and diversity in politics. She thanked Communications Officer Darragh Kelly for organising the events which included a number of roadshows and seminars. She outlined that she had learned vital information from the events, and said it was encouraging to see so many females from different backgrounds engaging in the events.

Cllr. Duffy and Cllr. Byrne also outlined that they attended some of the events and stated that they were extremely well ran and also thanked Darragh Kelly for his work.