MINUTES OF THE BALLINA MUNICIPAL DISTRICT
COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN THE COUNCIL
CHAMBER, BALLINA CIVIC OFFICES, ON
THURSDAY, 9th OCTOBER, 2014, at 10.30am.
Councillors Present :
Cllr. Neil Cruise
Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly
Cllr. Gerry Ginty
Cllr. Michael Loftus
Cllr. John O’Hara
Cllr. Annie May Reape
Cllr. Michael Smyth
Cllr. Seamus Weir
Officials Present :
Mr Paul Benson, A/Director of Services
Mr Paul Dolan, A/Senior Engineer
Mr Iain Douglas, Senior Planner
Mr Padraic Flanagan, Senior Executive Officer
Mr John McMyler, Senior Executive Planner
Ms Teresa Durkin, Executive Engineer
Mr Padraig Higgins, Executive Engineer
Ms Orla Bourke, Executive Engineer
Ms Carmel Murphy, Administrative Officer
Ms Mary Gordon, Senior Staff Officer
ITEM 1:
To adopt Minutes of
Ballina Municipal District
Meeting held on
3rd September, 2014.
Proposed by : Cllr. John O’Hara
Seconded by : Cllr. Michael Loftus
AND RESOLVED:“That the Minutes of Ballina Municipal District Meeting held on
Wednesday, 3rd September, 2014, at 10.30am be adopted, as
circulated”.
Matters arising from the Minutes : Cllr. Weir queried the
fact that a representative of Office of Public Works was not
in attendance at this Meeting as the Members had requested.
Mr Paul Benson, A/Director of Services, outlined OPWs stated
position in this regard. A letter which had been expected from
OPW, outlining their reasons for not attending, had not arrived.
Cllrs. unanimously expressed their disappointment that OPW
had declined to attend a Municipal District Meeting.
Proposed by Cllr. Seamus Weir
Seconded by Cllr. Annie May Reape
AND RESOLVED:“That the OPW be requested to arrange to have a Representative
address the November Meeting of Ballina Municipal District”.
ITEM 2:
To adopt the General
Municipal Allocation
for Budget 2015.
Mr Paul Benson, A/Director of Services, outlined the purpose
of this discretionary funding. The proposal for 2015 involved
a Discretionary Allocation of €250,000 for Ballina Municipal
District.
Proposed by Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly
Seconded by Cllr. Gerry Ginty
AND RESOLVED:“That the Members of Ballina Municipal District reject outright the
General Municipal Allocation as circulated, and request the Chief
Executive of Mayo County Council to provide a budget of the order
of €3m be made available for the four Municipal Districts for 2015”.
ITEM 3:
To consider Report in
accordance with Section 183
of the Local Government
Act 2001 concerning the
proposal to dispose of 0.003
hectares of Land at
Killala Td., to James Galvin
& Rose Galvin, Killala,
Co. Mayo.
ITEM 4:
Planning Report.
.
ITEM 5:
Roads Report.
ITEM 6:
Housing Report.
This proposal arose due to the requirement for Mayo County
Council to regularise title issues on lands at Killala Td., which
had erroneously been registered to Mayo County Council on
part MY51872, and to return these lands to the rightful owners,
M/s James & Rose Galvin, Killala.
Proposed by: Cllr. Jarlath Munnelly
Seconded by: Cllr. Annie May Reape
AND RESOLVED:“That the Members of Ballina Municipal District approve of the
proposal as set out in Report circulated to Members in
accordance with Section 183 of the Local Government Act, 2001,
to dispose of 0.003 hectares of Land at Killala Td, Killala, to
James Galvin & Rose Galvin.”
Mr Iain Douglas, Senior Planner, outlined to the Members the
reasoning he believed that proposed variations were being sought
to the existing County Development Plan and answered the
Members queries in this regard.
Mr Paul Dolan, A/Senior Engineer, provided a detailed summary of
progress on the Roadworks Scheme throughout the Ballina
Municipal District, which was now nearing completion.
Mr Padraig Flanagan, Senior Executive Officer, confirmed that a
meeting between MCC and the DoE had recently taken place, and
it was expected that some funding would be made available for
housing construction in the 2015 Budget Allocation. Priority areas
would be determined once the funding was confirmed.
In relation to Housing Grants, while the Schemes were working very
well, funding levels remained unchanged, and the number of
applications were increasing. The Housing SPC would have to
review the Schemes having regard to the level of funding available.
ITEM 7:
Notices of Motion:
[A]
“That this Council will continue the operation of the former Ballina Town
Council’s Amenity Grant Scheme for housing estates and that it will be
extended to the whole of the Ballina Municipal District and that the allocation of
money to the Scheme will be raised to such a level so as to ensure that the
funding available to past recipients will remain the same as was available prior
to the dissolution of Ballina Town Council, and that a similar level of funding to
this will be available to applicants in the Ballina Municipal District from outside
the boundaries of the former Ballina Town Council”.
Cllr. John O’Hara
Cllr. O’Hara advised that such “small contributions” kick start communities into getting
involved and making a positive impact on their own areas. He hoped that the same
funding could be made available throughout the Municipal District, as had applied in
Ballina Town previously, and the Discretionary Grant (as discussed at Item 1
previously), needed to be at such a level as to help communities undertake works.
Cllr. O’Hara’s Motion was seconded by Cllr. Neil Cruise
[B]
“That this Council call on the Minister for the Environment to immediately start
a programme for the building of social housing in towns and villages and to
restart the building of one-off social housing in rural areas”.
Cllr. Gerry Ginty
Cllr. Ginty requested that the message be sent to the Minister for the Environment to
ensure the construction programme and tenant purchase opportunities existed for
applicants in the near future.
Cllr. Munnelly seconded Cllr. Ginty’s proposal.
This concluded the business of the Meeting. Next Meeting tentatively agreed for
Wednesday, 5th November, 2014, at 10.30am in Ballina Civic Offices.
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