Council Meeting Minutes November 2015
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Minutes of Meeting of Monaghan County Council held in the Council Chamber, Mtek Building, Armagh Road, Monaghan on Monday 2nd November, 2015 at 10.00 a.m. Chair: Cllr Noel Keelan, Cathaoirleach Present: Cllrs. Campbell, Carthy, Conlon, Connolly, Coyle, Crowe, Gallagher, Maxwell, McElvaney, McPhillips, B. McKenna, McNally, O’Hanlon and P. Treanor. Mr. A. King, Chief Executive, Mr. P. Clifford, Director of Services, Mr. J. Murray, Head of Finance, Ms. P. Monahan, A/Director of Service, Mr. J. McKernan, A/Senior Engineer, Mr. A. Hughes, Senior Planner, Ms. N. Woods, SEO Housing, Mr. D. Hurley, SE Housing Mr. L. MacCinna, Executive Engineer Housing, Mr D. McKernan, Senior Executive Engineer and Ms. C. Thornton, Meetings Administrator. Apology: Cllrs Bennett and S. Treanor 1. Confirmation of Minutes Amendments: Page 3 – Bottom of page – the number of those voting against Cllr Gallagher’s motion should read two. Page 11 – Top of page – should read Cllr C. Carthy asked questions 6, 7, 8 and 9 The amendments were agreed. (i) On the proposal of Cllr. S. Coyle, seconded by Cllr B. McKenna, it was agreed that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 5th October, 2015, as amended above, be confirmed. 2. Correspondence. Urgent Business: The Cathaoirleach advised the members that he had received a notice of Urgent Business from Cllrs Coyle, Gallagher, McNally and O’Hanlon as follows: That this Council calls on the Minister of Justice and Equality, Francis Fitzgerald TD, to address, as a matter of urgency, the current dangerously low level of Garda numbers in the Cavan/ Monaghan division – the most depleted Garda division in the country. It was agreed that this motion would be taken at the end of the meeting. The following correspondence was circulated with the agenda for the meeting: Letter from the AILG regarding an amendment to Clause 5 of the AILG Standing Policy Council Chapter. Letter of acknowledgement from the Office of the Taoiseach in relation to the N2/A5 upgrade. Letter of acknowledgement from the Department of Finance regarding the Local Improvement Scheme. Letter of acknowledgement from the Office of the Taoiseach in relation to the Council’s resolution regarding the Dublin/Monaghan bombings. Letter from the Minister for Social Protection declining the Council’s request for a meeting to discuss the PSC Office in Ballybay. Letter of acknowledgement from Minister Heather Humphreys, T.D., regarding the PSC Office in Ballybay. Letter of acknowledgement from Brendan Smith, T.D., regarding the PSC Office in Ballybay and enclosing correspondence from Minister for State Kevin Humphreys T.D. Letter from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Pascal Donohoe, T.D., in relation to the Local Improvement Scheme. Letter from the Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash T.D. regarding zero hour and low hour contracts. Letter from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation regarding the closure of the BOSE factory in Carrickmacross and the subsequent need for renewed employment for Cavan and Monaghan. Letter of acknowledgement from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, T.D., regarding the Council’s resolution relating to milk prices. Letter from the Area Manager, HSE Cavan Monaghan in relation to Home Help hours. Letter from the Officer of the Director General of the HSE regarding the Home Help hours. Email from the President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in San Diego, CA, USA seeking a flag from County Monaghan. Resolution from the Ballybay-Clones M.D. in relation to the provision of RESPITE beds/ facilities in County Monaghan. Resolution from the Ballybay-Clones M.D. regarding a meeting to seek an update on the extension works at Monaghan Hospital. Resolution from Clare County Council calling for the release of Ibrahim Halawa. Resolution from Galway City Council calling for the immediate review of the HAP system. Resolution from Meath County Council requesting that Irish Water or the local authority accepts responsibility for all sewerage mains and infrastructure maintenance including those running through non-public property. Resolution from Donegal County Council calling on the Government to issue a bus pass to all cancer and other patients travelling to Galway or Dublin during the period of their treatment regardless of their age. The following correspondence was circulated at the meeting: Letter from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government regarding a survey of elected members in relation to the reform of local government and advising that the closing date for the submission of the completed survey was the 1st December, 2015. Letter of acknowledgement from the Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources regarding the Council’s request for an extension of the REFIT Scheme. Letter from Deputy Sean Conlan in response to the Council’s resolution regarding the Department of Social Protection Office in Ballybay and enclosing written answers from Ministers Joan Burton and Simon Harris. Letter from Bus Eireann confirming that an official would be available to attend a future Council meeting to discuss the School Transport Scheme for children with special educational needs. Letter of acknowledgement from the Office of Public Works in relation to the Department of Social Protection Office in Ballybay Letter from the HSE Cavan & Monaghan in relation to the Council’s resolution regarding home help hours. Proposals arising out of correspondence: Cllr Coyle proposed, Cllr Gallagher seconded a. That Monaghan County Council expresses serious disappointment at the ongoing refusal of An Tanaiste, Joan Burton, TD, Minister for Social Protection, to meet a Council delegation to discuss the retention of the Dept. Of Social protection offices in Ballybay and the 30 plus jobs on the town’s Main St. b. That Monaghan County Council expresses serious disappointment at the failure of the Fine Gael TD’s for Co. Monaghan, Minister Heather Humphreys, and Sean Conlan to secure a meeting with Minister Burton, despite numerous requests from this Council and Ballybay-Clones MD, and their failure to respond adequately to the questions posed to them on this issue, by Monaghan County Council at the meeting of the 5th October 2015. c. That this Council seeks through Fine Gael TD’s, Minister Heather Humphreys and Sean Conlan, an immediate meeting with Simon Harris, Minister with responsibility for the OPW to discuss the Ballybay Social Protection Offices and their permanent continuance in Ballybay. Following a discussion on the motion, the Cathaoirleach put the motion to the meeting. A vote by show of hands resulted in 12 for, nil against, 3 abstentions. The Cathaoirleach declared the motion carried. Cllr Coyle proposed, Cllr Gallagher seconded that Monaghan County Council expresses its outrage at the betrayal of a solemn commitment in the programme for government to increase home help hours, each year of the governments term, and then cuts the hours by 76,743 from 2010 to 2013, an outrageous attack on the most vulnerable in society. We call on the current Fine Gael lead government to immediately increase the funding for home help hours. A vote by show of hands resulted in 10 for, 3 against, 1 abstentions. The Cathaoirleach declared the motion carried. It was agreed that the motion be circulated to all local authorities. On the proposal of Cllr Connolly, seconded by Cllr O’Hanlon it was agreed that Monaghan County Council write to Minister Pascal Donohue, T.D. outlining that in view of the fact that Monaghan County Council roads budget has reduced from €8m in 2010 to €5m in 2015, the fact that our LIS has ceased four years ago, and due to the lack of funding and the fact that there is no scope within our roads budget to implement LIS, that the Minister again examine our request for additional LIS funding. On the proposal of Cllr O’Hanlon, seconded by Cllr McNally it was agreed that this Council calls on the Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohue to make additional funding available for our local and regional roads. The funding for local roads is down 50% on 2011. The funding for regional roads is down 40% on 2011. As a result of this, it is having a negative impact on our roads infrastructure - it is important for us to have a proper road infrastructure to create and maintain jobs, as 90% of the jobs in the county comes from the SME sector. On the proposal of Cllr Carthy, seconded by Cllr Crowe, it was agreed that Monaghan County Council calls on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD, to give a detailed report on actions being carried out behind the scenes in relation to the former BOSE facility, including reasons potential investors/ companies are not accepting the property for their company/ business. On the proposal of Cllr McElvaney, seconded by Cllr O’Hanlon, it was agreed that the Council seek a meeting with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; the Junior Minister or a senior official of that Department to discuss the vacant BOSE factory in Carrickmacross. On the proposal of Cllr McNally, seconded by Cllr O’Hanlon, it was agreed that this Council seeks an urgent meeting with Mr. John Hayes, to discuss the need for additional home help hours. On the proposal of Cllr McNally, seconded by Cllr O’Hanlon it was agreed that we write to the Departments of Environment and Transport seeking a specific fund for the Local Improvement Scheme. It was agreed to take Notice of Motion 19(3) at this stage: Cllr S. Coyle proposed, Cllr Gallagher seconded and it was agreed, That Monaghan County Council seeks from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly T.D., and the Fine Gael/Labour Government, special funding to address the long waiting and ever increasing list of private lanes under the Local Improvement Scheme in 2016, as many are suffering great hardship in rural County Monaghan due to the cutting of funding for this hugely successful scheme by the current Fine Gael/Labour government.