The Chief Executive Mr. Shane Tiernan presented the Draft Budget to the Elected Members for consideration:

·         He outlined the process in preparing the Budget including the input of the Corporate Policy Group and budget holders.

·         As ability to increase revenue in limited, need to work with ratepayers in 2024 to ensure collection rate remains high while ensuring efficiencies across the organisation.

·         The prospect of a rates increase will have to be soon considered in light of increased service delivery costs. It is nearly 20 years since the last rates increase.

·         The LPT has increased by €1.77m to €12.5m (new baseline funding from Government). The maintenance of the 15% increase has resulted in the sum of €540k available for GMA and will allow €255k for C&E projects, an additional €187k for street cleaning and €75k for the graveyard grants and will also support tidy towns grants and matched funding for additional investment in the county.

·         Housing continues to be a key issue and Housing for All provides a plan to deliver houses where they are needed in the county through various schemes including capital delivery, buy and renew, Croí Cónaithe and LA loans.

·         CroíCónaithe has been a great success so far with in excess of 180 applications received to date.

·         The approval of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge received Cabinet approval to proceed to construction in 2024. When completed it will deliver a major economic boost to the region, providing 34km of high quality road and encourage tourism, investment and employment in County Roscommon and the West and North West.

·         Public Lighting costs are budgeted to increase in 2024 and there is a capital project in lace to upgrade 2900 lights at an estimated cost of €3.4m to Roscommon County Council.

·         Our Rural Future 2021-2025 continues to provide funding through various schemes including RRDF, Town and Village Renewal and Outdoor Recreation Schemes. The redevelopment of An Rioga was completed in 2023 with the Castlerea Hub and the Monksland Innovation Hub due to be completed in 2024 and should result in increased employment.

·         Detailed design and construction will continue on Monksland, Roscommon Town and Strokestown projects subject to Part 8 and government funding as well as a number of other projects including a town park in Ballaghaderreen. The Council must continue to develop projects to be considered in the coming years subject to matched funding and government approval. This will enable the generation of jobs in our local economy.

·         A priority of the Council is to continue to develop on tourism potential. Working with our partners we will seek to maximise funding opportunities such as Just Transition, EI, Greenway, Active Travel and the rural and urban schemes to deliver key projects such as Hodson Bay, Lough Key Forest Park, and plans for a key greenway infrastructure to link towns and villages.

·         The level of capital funding is welcome but brings an increased workload and we have increased staff numbers in 2023 and plan to maintain that level in 2023. We will continue to invest in training and supports to enable staff to deliver services in most efficient and resourceful manner.

·         All staff in Water Services are under operational direction of Uisce Eireann since July 2023- all costs will be reimbursed to the Council and the costs will decrease annually until 2026 when a full transition of staff will complete

·         Negotiations are ongoing to finalise the new retained fire services pay and conditions agreement. The increased cost of the fire services in 2024 has been budgeted on a cost neutral basis as there is no firm agreement as yet.

·         Roscommon County Council continues to respond to Ukrainian refugee crisis and going forward will provide further wrap around services and will be putting in place a Local Authority Integration team in 2024 of four to work with international protection in Ireland.

·         The Climate Action Plan will be adopted in 2024 translating international and national legislation into local climate actions and adaptation considerations integrated into all functions of the Council operations.

·         The development and promotion of our online portal My Online Services will continue in 2024 and will allow customers to access better services. This underpins the national digital services framework.

In conclusion, the Chief Executive thanked Head of Finance, Mr. Mullarkey and his team for the preparation of the Draft Budget and to the Cathaoirleach and Elected Members for their support during the year.

The Cathaoirleach proposed that each member would be afforded four minutes to speak on the Budget and this was agreed.

On the PROPOSAL of Cllr. Cummins

SECONDED by Cllr. Byrne

It was AGREED to adopt the Budget at 1.00pm.