Annual Report Tuarascáil Bhliantúil 2018 2018 Strategic Vision To serve the communities of Roscommon with enthusiasm, courtesy and absolute respect, to revitalise the social, economic, cultural and environmental fabric of our towns and villages and rural communities, to provide supports and mechanisms to empower all of our communities to grow, and to ensure that the Council’s budget is effectively spent and accounted for. Front Cover: Elphin Windmill Above: Aerial view of Roscommon County Council and surrounding area. Contents Introduction from An Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive 2 Elected Members of Roscommon County Council 4 Strategic Policy Committees, SPCs 2014-2019 5 Community and Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Arts, Heritage and Tourism 7 Corporate Services 17 Assets and Energy Management 23 Emergency Services 25 Development Incentives and Control 29 Environmental Protection 32 Finance 37 Housing and Building 41 Human Resources 45 Information and Communication Technologies 47 Library Services 48 Roads, Transportation and Safety 50 Water Services 55 Local Community Development Committee Report 60 Corporate Plan Report 62 Appendix 1: Service Indicators 2018 64 Appendix 2: Councillors’ Conferences 2018 70 Appendix 3: Councillors’ Committees 2018 72 Annual Report 2018 1 Introduction from An Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive We are delighted to present the 2018 Annual Report which outlines details of the quality services and comprehensive range of projects, programmes and initiatives undertaken by Roscommon County Council during the year. It is a privilege to report on the County Council’s g In July 2018, Somers Park, Castlerea was officially achievements and successes throughout 2018 in opened by Ms. Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister responding to the many challenges of providing a for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The highly competent, professional and innovative service Somers Park project was funded by Roscommon County Council with the additional support of to the clients and communities that it serves. Harmac Medical Products, the Department of Among the many highlights for the year were: Children and Youth Affairs and Castlerea Town Team. The project was also made possible g The levels of expenditure for the Council’s thanks to the collaborative efforts of several local Revenue and Capital Accounts for 2018 were stakeholders including, Enterprise Castlerea, €58.8m and €30.4m respectively. Castlerea Town Trust, St. Teresa’s Girl Guides g €30.1m in funding was allocated to national and and Roscommon Municipal District. The park is non-national roads in 2018. named after the Somers family who set up the g €8.4m was allocated for the operation and Harmac Medical Products factory in Castlerea 20 maintenance of existing water and wastewater years ago. schemes and for the delivery of capital projects g In October 2018, at a ceremony in the Council under the 2018 Annual Services Plan that was Chamber, Athlone Institute of Technology agreed with Irish Water. conferred a Distinguished Fellowship award on g In November, Irish Water, working in partnership John Somers, CEO and President of Harmac with Roscommon, Mayo and Galway County Medical Products. This award is the institute’s Councils, celebrated the official opening of the greatest academic honour and is bestowed €10 million investment which saw the extension on individuals who, through active leadership of the Lough Mask Water Supply Scheme in or scholarly pursuits, have made significant County Mayo to Ballinlough, Cloonfad, Granlahan contributions to Ireland, the midlands region and Williamstown. and, indeed, their local communities. Through the conferring of the Distinguished Fellowship, g The N61 Coolteige Phase 1 Road Project Mr. Somers, who has a notable record of involved the realignment and improvement of achievement in business, has been granted life- approximately 2.9 km of a section of National long membership of the institute, with whom he Secondary Road on the northern outskirts has established a close relationship. of Roscommon Town. Works on the main construction contract commenced on site in the g Councillor Ivan Connaughton, Cathaoirleach, first quarter of 2018 and the mainline opened to and Eugene Cummins, Chief Executive, hosted traffic in the final quarter of 2018. a reception at Áras an Chontae for the Chinese Ambassador H.E. Dr. YUE Xiaoyong when the g Roscommon County Council completed the Ambassador visited the county on Monday 24th purchase of seven single dwellings in various September 2018. locations and the turnkey construction of ten units at Monksfield Park, Athlone under g The Civic Honour of Freedom of the the Housing Acquisition and Construction Administrative Area of County Roscommon was Programme. Work also commenced on projects awarded to the artist Mr. Brian O’Doherty at an at Station Road, Boyle and Lisroyne Court, award ceremony which took place on 26th April Strokestown. In addition, the County Council 2018 in the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Royal together with a number of Approved Housing Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin. Bodies delivered thirty-eight houses under g On 12th September 2018, An Taoiseach Leo the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) Varadkar TD was joined by Minister for Culture, throughout the County. Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan g A programme of fire station improvements TD and Minister for Housing, Planning and works continued during 2018. Renovation works Local Government Eoghan Murphy TD for were completed at Ballaghaderreen, Boyle and the launch of Roscommon County Council’s Castlerea Fire Stations. Boyle Fire Station also Culture and Creativity Strategy 2018 - 2022, as took delivery of a new Class B Water Tender. part of the Creative Ireland Programme. This ambitious strategy aims to provide meaningful g Building works on Phase 2 of Roscommon Arts opportunities for citizens and local communities, Centre commenced. together with the County Council, to nurture, sustain and facilitate participation in cultural and creative activities. 2 Roscommon County Council g Boyle 2040 was launched in King House, Introduction from An Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive Boyle in October 2018 by Denis Naughten T.D., Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The plan, which will see a rejuvenation of Boyle town centre, has been the subject of extensive research and planning by Boyle Town Team in conjunction with Roscommon County Council Town Centre Planning Unit for the last two years. It presents a framework for public realm enhancement to the north and west side of the town to include Main Street, Bridge Street, St. Patrick Street and backlands of Boyle town centre. The plan also includes a vision for the former Royal Hotel site and linkages to the proposed Lough Key to Boyle Greenway. We wish to acknowledge the commitment, g The inaugural Cathaoirleach’s Creative dedication and hard work of the Elected Members, Citizenship Award took place on 14th June 2018. the Corporate Policy Group, Chairpersons and g Roscommon County Council established an Members of the Strategic Policy Committees and annual sports bursary in honour of the late Municipal District Committees, the Management Dermot Earley. Team and staff of Roscommon County Council. g A Digital Transformation Team was established We also wish to express our appreciation to the to transform how the County Council provides many voluntary and community organisations services to and interacts with the customers it with whom the Council interacts for their on-going serves through the use of digital technologies. enthusiasm and co-operation. This collaborative g Energy saving measures contributed to approach is vital to facilitating the Council to deliver significant savings for the County Council. on its strategic vision to ‘serve the communities A 22.8% energy reduction was achieved based of Roscommon with enthusiasm, courtesy and on a 2009 baseline. absolute respect, to revitalise the social, economic, g The launch of ‘Irelands Hidden Heartlands’ cultural and environmental fabric of our towns during 2018 presented Roscommon County and villages and rural communities, to provide Council with an additional platform to market its supports and mechanisms to empower all of tourist attractions. our communities to grow, and to ensure that the g A total of €60,000 was allocated to eighty- Council’s budget is effectively spent and accounted three projects under the Council’s Community for.’ The achievements outlined in this Annual Report, and Amenity Grants Scheme. which have significantly benefited the people of g A total of €248,252 was allocated to forty- Roscommon in terms of economic, social, cultural seven projects under the Council’s Community and infrastructural development, could not have Enhancement Scheme. been accomplished without each and every one of g Roscommon County Council adopted the your considerable efforts, energy and enterprise County Roscommon Road Traffic (Special throughout the year. Your collective input is to be Speed Limits Housing Estates) Bye-Laws 2018 highly commended. which came into effect on 1st August 2018. These bye-laws introduced Special Speed Limits of 30 KPH on designated sections of roads in selected housing estates throughout the county. g Roscommon County Council’s Vacant Homes Action Plan was finalised in 2018. This plan focuses on the main settlements in the county and identifies a number of actions to be pursued Cllr Ivan Connaughton Eugene Cummins in resolving the issue of vacant homes. Cathaoirleach