Agenda and minutes

Order: Agreed.

Order: Noted and Recommend to Council

Order: No Conference attended and no reports Received.

The Chair welcomed Mr. Richard Shakespeare, the Assistant Chief Executive in charge of Planning and Development to the meeting. Richard informed the Committee that following a reinterpretation of existing regulations Local Authority Members were obliged to pay a fee in order to make planning observations and submissions. However, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government were in the process of preparing new legislation that would permit the waiving or reduction of this fee. It is hoped that the Minister will enact the new regulations prior to the summer recess.

Order: The Members welcomed the new regulations and requested that the Planning Department circulate written notification to all Councillors of the proposed changes. 

Oonagh Casey briefed Members on the existing procedures when dealing with Committee motions. There was concern that motions submitted to Area and Strategic Policy Committees were being taken out of turn because they were included on their Council breviate.

Order: It was agreed that those motions agreed by Area and Strategic Policy Committees to be recommended to Council should be noted on the breviate but the exact wording should be omitted from Area Committee Breviates. Those motions from Area and Strategic Policy Committees should be included on the Council agenda and dealt with in turn.  A committee may not have more than one motion on the agenda at any one time but that committee may agree to replace their motion on the agenda with another that they are referring to the City Council. The wording of motions agreed by the Protocol Committee will appear on the breviate and may be challenged as the Protocol breviate is subject to the adoption of Council. All other breviates are for noting only.

Derry Solan, Deputy City Architect, briefed the Members on the proposed works to the “Stewards Apartment” in the Mansion House. Due to the necessity to disturb an exterior wall on the roof of the Mansion House, a Part 8 planning application was necessary. As the majority of the works will be carried out by City Council direct labour the costs of the project will be minimised and are estimated at approximately €40,000. The outcome of the upgrade will be a contained en suite bedroom that will be available for use by visiting dignitaries. Cllr. Flynn welcomed the works but also expressed concern regarding disabled access to the Mansion House.

Order: The Members welcomed the project and considered it as a valuable addition to the Mansion House. The Committee requested that City Architect’s provide a report to the next meeting on the issue of disabled access to the Mansion House.        

Order: Report Agreed.

The Members acknowledged that the Education Training Boards were important bodies and were involved in valuable work. However, they expressed concern at how they were constituted in terms of membership. Councillors Paddy Bourke and Vincent Jackson were scheduled to meet with the Minister to discuss the issue.

Order: Group Leaders should emphasise the importance of the ETB’s to their members, especially as in some instances the lack of attendance has resulted in the failure to achieve a quorum. Cllr. Bourke and Jackson to be invited to brief the Committee on the outcome of their discussions with the Minister.     

Order: Agreed and recommend to Council

Order: Agreed.

The Manager informed Members on the following matters:

Ø  CCTV in City Hall was being upgraded and an additional camera would be installed along the rear corridor linking the Members Tea Room with the Richard O’Carroll Room.

Order: Agreed.

Ø  A proposed Friendship Agreement with Dublin Ohio.

Order: To be listed for consideration at the next Protocol Committee meeting.

Ø  Members have an annual Conference budget of €700. However, approval to attend a conference must first be sought from the Protocol Committee and then from the City Council. 

Order: Noted

Councillor Naoise O’Muiri requested that:

·        The use of the Councillor Group emailing list should be reviewed as it was open to misuse.

Order: Agreed.

·        A report be brought to the Protocol Committee on the refurbishment and lease of a Lodge in St. Anne’s Park.

Order: Agreed.   

Order: Agreed.