MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2012 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... 2 MISSION STATEMENT ........................................................................................ 5 MESSAGE FROM CATHAOIRLEACH AND COUNTY MANAGER .................... 6 MEMBERS OF MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL ........................................................ 7 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 10 STRATEGIC POLICY COMMITTEES ................................................................ 12 LIST OF EXTERNAL BODIES ON WHICH MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL ARE FORMALLY REPRESENTED BY COUNCILLORS IN 2012 ............................. 17 SERVICE INDICATORS ..................................................................................... 20 MAYO COUNTY ENTERPRISE BOARD ........................................................... 38 COMMUNITY AND INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT ......................................... 42 MAYO ENTERPRISE AND INVESTMENT UNIT ............................................... 44 WALKING AND TRAILS DEVELOPMENT ........................................................ 45 ROADS TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY ..................................................... 49 N59 KILBRIDE ROAD IMPROVEMENT SCHEME ............................................ 54 N59 WESTPORT TO MULRANNY ..................................................................... 55 KILCUMMIN SLIPWAY ...................................................................................... 56 ROAD SAFETY .................................................................................................. 57 MOTOR TAX ...................................................................................................... 59 GROUP WATER SCHEMES .............................................................................. 60 2 WATER SERVICES ............................................................................................ 63 WATER SAFETY ................................................................................................ 69 OUR ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS…ENFORCEMENT…PROTECTION ...... 71 HOUSING AND BUILDING ................................................................................ 84 ARCHITECTS ..................................................................................................... 92 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT .................................................................. 107 FIRE SERVICE ................................................................................................. 119 FINANCE .......................................................................................................... 128 MAYO COUNTY CHILDCARE COMMITTEE (MAYO CCC) ............................ 130 MAYO SPORTS PARTNERSHIP ..................................................................... 134 ARTS ................................................................................................................ 141 MAYO COUNTY LIBRARY .............................................................................. 151 HERITAGE ....................................................................................................... 163 INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES (ICTS) ..................... 170 RETIREMENTS IN 2012 ................................................................................... 171 CORPORATE ................................................................................................... 173 REGISTER OF ELECTORS/EDITED REGISTER 2012/2013 .......................... 174 OIFIG NA GAEILGE ......................................................................................... 176 MAYO CIVIL DEFENCE ................................................................................... 185 PROCUREMENT .............................................................................................. 188 3 ENERGY USAGE IN 2012 ............................................................................... 190 AROUND THE COUNTY 2012 ......................................................................... 192 CONTACT DETAILS ........................................................................................ 197 APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................................... 199 APPENDIX 2 .................................................................................................... 199 4 MISSION STATEMENT “We work to improve the quality of life for people living in Mayo and enhance the attractiveness of the County as a place in which to live, work, invest in and enjoy”. 5 MESSAGE FROM CATHAOIRLEACH AND COUNTY MANAGER Mr. Cyril Burke Mr. Peter Hynes Cathaoirleach County Manager Details of Mayo County Council’s activities during 2012 are contained in this report. In keeping with the trend in recent years, Mayo County Council has striven to maintain and improve services for our people despite the reduction in resources available to the Council. This report shows that we have succeeded in this objective. Our success is due in no small measure to the co-operation which exists between elected Council, Management and all of the Council’s employees. Everybody has been doing more for less in order to ensure the best possible outcome for the people of the County. As the present downturn comes to an end, the efficiencies which have been achieved in recent years will help the Council to maximise every possible benefit which the upturn will bring for the people of our County. 6 MEMBERS OF MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL Electoral Areas Ballina Electoral Area Cllr. Gerry Ginty Cllr. John O’Hara Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly Cllr. Annie May Reape (NP) (FG) (FG) (FF) Cllr. Eddie Staunton Cllr. Seamus Weir (FG) (FG) 7 Castlebar Electoral Area Cllr. Cyril Burke Cllr Frank Durcan Cllr. Blackie K. Gavin Cllr. Henry Kenny (FG) (NP) (FF) (FG) Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne Cllr. Eugene McCormack Cllr. Al McDonnell (NP) (FG) (FF) Claremorris Electoral Area Cllr. Michael Burke Cllr. Tom Connolly Cllr. John Cribbin Cllr. Richard Finn (FG) (FG) (FG) (NP) Cllr Patsy O’Brien Cllr. Damien Ryan (FG) (FF) 8 Belmullet Electoral Area Cllr. Rose Conway-Walsh Cllr. Gerry Coyle Cllr. Michael Holmes Cllr. Micheál McNamara (SF) (FG) (NP) (FF) Swinford Electoral Area Cllr. Eugene Lavin Cllr. Jimmy Maloney Cllr. Joe Mellett Cllr. Gerry Murray (FG) (FF) (FG) (SF) Westport Electoral Area Cllr. Margaret Adams Cllr. Peter Flynn Cllr. Austin F. O’Malley Cllr. John O’Malley (FF) (FG) (FG) (FG) 9 BACKGROUND Local Government in Ireland provides a forum for the democratic representation of local communities promotes community interests and provides important services such as housing, roads, water and sewerage and planning. Mayo Local Authorities are made up of two parts - the Elected Members and the Executive (The Management and Staff). 31 Members were elected to Mayo County Council and 9 Members to each of the Town Councils, namely Ballina, Castlebar and Westport in June 2009. The Members perform the RESERVED FUNCTIONS, which broadly equate with the making of policy and include: Approval of Corporate Plan Adopting the Annual Budget of the Council Making of a Development Plan under Planning Legislation Adopting a Scheme of Letting Priorities for the Allocation of Local Authority Housing The County Manager is appointed to the position following an open competition by the Local Appointments Commission. The Manager performs the EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS by way of Managers Order. These functions relate to day-to-day administration and include: Letting of Houses Planning Decisions Management of Human Resources In practice there is much consultation in the performance of the reserved and executive functions. The functions of Mayo Local Authorities are classified under eight programme groups: Housing & Building Road Transportation & Safety Water Supply & Sewerage Development Incentives & Control Environmental Protection Recreation & Amenity Agriculture, Education, Health & Welfare Miscellaneous Services 10 The expenditure of Mayo Local Authorities can be classified under two headings: Revenue Expenditure which is day to day spending on the provision of services. The main sources of funding for this expenditure are: Government Grants and Subsidies Commercial Rates Fees and Charges for Services Capital Expenditure is expenditure on the creation of an asset, e.g. construction of houses, water and sewerage schemes and major road works. The main sources of funding for this expenditure are: Capital Grants from Central Government Borrowings Other Capital Receipts The annual report is an outline of the main programmes, services and other activities undertaken by the Council in 2012. 11 STRATEGIC POLICY COMMITTEES SPC COUNCILLORS REPRESENTATIVES HOUSING Cllr. John Cribbin, Chair Kieran Mulhern, Community Cllr. Eddie Staunton Forum Cllr. Gerry Coyle Francis Brennan, Community Cllr. Brendan Heneghan Forum Cllr. Annie May Reape Padraig Heverin, ICTU Cllr. Frank Durcan Helena McElmeel, Chambers of Cllr. Gerry Ginty Commerce CULTURAL, EDUCATION, HERITAGE Cllr. Al McDonnell, Chair Mary G. Duffy, Community AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS Cllr. Peter Flynn Forum Cllr. Eugene McCormack P.J. Lynn, Community Forum, Cllr. Joseph Mellett Tony Deffely, ICTU Cllr. Peter Clarke Joe Queenan, Chambers of Cllr. Margaret Adams Commerce Cllr. Cyril Burke ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly, Chair Stephen Meenaghan, Community Cllr.