Martin Lydon informed the members as follows:

The Local Government Act 2001 Section 102, as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, provides the legislative basis for the revised budget process.  It states that “In the case of a county or city council, the Chief Executive shall consult the Municipal District Members for each Municipal District in the Local Authority’s functional area in the preparation of a Draft Local Authority Budget and, for that purpose, a Draft Budgetary Plan for the Municipal District shall be prepared under the direction of the Chief Executive and submitted for consideration by the Municipal District Members for each Municipal District in the manner and in the format that may be prescribed by regulations made by the Minister.”

The purpose of a Draft Budgetary Plan is to provide each Municipal District an opportunity to allocate its proportion of the General Municipal Allocation according to its priorities.

Schedule of Municipal District Works and Service Delivery Plans

Section 103(A) (1) provides that, following the adoption of the Local Authority Budget, a schedule of proposed works of maintenance and repairs to be carried out during 2019 in each Municipal District shall be prepared under the direction of the Chief Executive, having regard to the availability of resources.

The Schedule of Municipal District Works shall be considered by the Municipal District Members concerned and be adopted by resolution, with or without amendment. In making an amendment, the Municipal District Members shall have due regard to the Local Authority Budget adopted in accordance with section 103(9).

The Draft Budgetary Plan refers to discretionary funding only.

In producing the Draft Budgetary Plan, the following was considered:

1.       The needs and resources available or likely to be made available to the Local Authority

2.       The resource needs of each Municipal District, including where appropriate km of roads, population, location of facilities, etc.

The Corporate Policy Group considered the basis for apportionment for Roads expenditure and as a result there are two main changes proposed in the 2019 budget as follows

·         The calculation for the distribution of the funding for roads based on the road condition

·         The suspension of the Roscommon Municipal District Fund for 2019

The terrible condition of the roads in the Athlone MD was discussed by the Corporate Policy Group and six proposals were put before the CPG to address some of the issues.  Option number four was decided on by the CPG which proportions the funding for roads based on the road condition.  This resulted in a reduction of the Local Roads General Maintenance fund in both the Roscommon MD and the Boyle MD with a corresponding increase in the Athlone MD allocation.  This would mean a proposed reduction for the Roscommon MD of €62,200 for 2019.

The suspension of the Municipal District Grant for 2019 resulted from the demand for match funding to be made available to allow Roscommon County Council to bid for funds allocated by Central Government.  The budgets of the last few years shows no great change and there is no other avenue open to create an opportunity for matched funding which is in and around 25%. The budget therefore at plenary level will bring in an additional €250,000 for match funding/loan.  We need to invest in our towns and villages and we propose to acquire a loan of circa €10,000,000 to invigorate County Roscommon.

Eugene Dwyer addressed the members and reminded them of the severe cuts of up to 40% in funding for roads since 2008.  This has limited our resources especially in regard to our tertiary local roads.   The severe flooding over the past few years caused widespread damage to our road network especially in the south of the county.   South Roscommon was also worse affected by the recent snow storms.  As a result of all of this we require an estimated €11,000,000 in the Athlone MD to repair these roads.  A request for funding was sent to the Department and we were allocated €2,000,000.  It is important that we recognise within Roscommon County Council that some of the roads in south Roscommon are very dangerous and we also need to send a clear message to the Department that we are committed as a Local Authority to addressing these issues.

Cllr. Connolly stated that he could not agree with moving €62,200 from the Roscommon MD into the Athlone MD notwithstanding the arguments put forward.

Cllr. Creaton agreed with Cllr. Connolly and complimented the Engineers and the staff in the Roscommon MD on how they stretched the limited funds in the Roscommon MD.

Cllr. Dineen also stated that he could not agree to moving funds to the Athlone MD as we are stretched ourselves within the Roscommon MD.

Cllr. Fitzmaurice indicated that he respected the views of the other members, however he was a member of the Corporate Policy Group.

Cllr. Shanagher agreed with Cllr. Fitzmaurice and stated that she understood why the members did not want to move funds from the Roscommon MD to the Athlone MD.

Cllr. Leyden spoke about the fact that the Department had cut our grant money for roads and as a Councillor we cannot represent the people of the Roscommon MD and allow a cut to our own resources for roads. Therefore, she could not support moving funds from the Roscommon MD to the Athlone MD.

On the PROPOSAL of Councillor Leyden

            SECONDED by Councillor Shanagher

It was AGREED to send a letter to the Department seeking additional funding for all roads in County Roscommon.

 On the PROPOSAL of Councillor Leyden

            SECONDED by Councillor Connolly

It was also AGREED to amend the Draft Budget Report for 2019 for the Roscommon MD and give back the €62,200 to the Roscommon MD.

A discussion took place in relation to the suspension of the Municipal District Fund Grant for 2019.  It was agreed by all that we need to grow within the Municipal District and as a County.  All the members supported the need to spend money in a different way so as to maximise the benefits for the whole of the County.  They remarked on the great work that was done with the Municipal District Fund Grant to date but recognised the need to avail of the other funding. This hopefully will bring about bigger projects which will lead to the creation of employment.

Martin Lydon explained that he relied on the information provided to him by the professional staff of Roscommon County Council and the Corporate Policy Group in all the different services we deliver.  He stated that as an Executive we have to take the County view into consideration in putting all financial information and all other plans together and this policy was adhered to in the preparation of this budgetary plan.  It is important from a risk and governance perspective that as an Executive we take account of the advice that we have received.  This will be coming back again in front of the members at plenary level as part of the budgetary process.

On the PROPOSAL of Councillor Leyden

SECONDED by Councillor Dineen

It was AGREED to adopt the Roscommon Municipal District Budget as presented subject to the amendments agreed by the members at this meeting.