Agenda and minutes

Cllr Dermot Lacey was nominated by Cllr. A Clancy and seconded by Cllr. T

Keegan.

Order: Cllr. Dermot Lacey was elected as Chair of the Committee.

Councillor Ciaran O’Moore was nominated by Cllr. D Heney and seconded by Cllr. M

Flynn.

Order: Cllr. Ciaran O’Moore was elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee

Order: Agreed.

Order: Receptions Agreed and Recommended to Council

Ø  Councillors Dermot Lacey and Mary Freehill:

MacGill Summer School, “The Future of Ireland in a New Europe: The Challenges Ahead”. Glenties, County Donegal. 22^nd – 27^th July 2018.

·        Councillors Dermot Lacey and Mary Freehill: MacGill Summer School, “The Future of Ireland in a New Europe: The Challenges Ahead”. Glenties, County Donegal. 22nd – 27th July 2018.

            Order: Agreed and Recommend to Council

Ø  Councillors Dermot Lacey and Mary Freehill:

            MacGill Summer School, “The Future of Ireland in a New Europe: The             Challenges Ahead”. 22nd – 27th July 2018.

·        Cllrs. Dermot Lacey & Mary Freehill: MacGill Summer School, “The Future of Ireland in a New Europe: The Challenges Ahead”. 22^nd  – 27^th July 2018.

            Order: Noted

“That this area committee calls on Dublin City Council (DCC) management to have City Hall reopened on Sundays.  Thousands of tourists and citizens wish to visit this unique building.  Sunday is the busiest day for tourists in the city.  City Hall was closed during the downturn in the economy and the cutbacks in DCC. City Hall is now back making a profit from its many activities such as civil marriage ceremonies and corporate receptions and promotions. 

There should be just one day set aside, Sunday, for sole public and visitor use without any interference from private bookings or receptions etc.  It also gives Councillors an opportunity to use the facility on this potentially quiet day.”

“That this area Committee calls on Dublin City Council (DCC) management to have City Hall reopened on Sundays. Thousands of tourists and citizens wish to visit this unique building. Sunday is the busiest day for tourists in the city. City Hall was closed during the downturn in the economy and the cutbacks in DCC. City Hall is now back making a profit from its many activities such as civil marriage ceremonies and corporate receptions and promotions.

There should be just one day set aside, Sunday, for sole public and visitor use without any interference from private bookings or receptions etc. It also gives Councillors an opportunity to use the facility on this potentially quiet day.”

Order: The Members agreed to Sunday openings on a 3 month trial basis from March to May 2019. Provision should be made in the current estimates to facilitate this trial. Members also recommended that sufficient advertising be undertaken to support the trial.   

“This committee calls on the Chief Executive to ensure that Dublin City Council through its Councillors keep their respective positions on the boards of outside bodies as they have in the past.

As some Boards are dissolved from outside bodies to form new boards, DCC have been left off the formation. An example of this is the new Children’s Hospital Board who will have no DCC member even though DCC Councillors hold board positions on the current boards of Temple Street and Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin. This is further devaluing the role of a local councillor.”

“This committee calls on the Chief Executive to ensure that Dublin City Council through its Councillors keep their respective positions on the boards of outside bodies as they have in the past. As some Boards are dissolved from outside bodies to form new boards, DCC have been left off the formation. An example of this is the new Children’s Hospital Board who will have no DCC member even though DCC Councillors hold board positions on the current boards of Temple Streetand Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin. This is further devaluing the role of a local Councillor.”

Order: Motion Agreed.

The Chief Executive to write to the Minister to convey the Members concern at the continued undermining of their role as elected representatives, especially in relation to board membership. 

“DCC regrets the decision of government to renege on promoting a directly elected mayor for Dublin. We are conscious of the seriously weak local government system in Ireland which is very much out of kilter with the rest of the EU and runs contrary to the principals of subsidiarity as stated in the Nice Treaty.

This Council is concerned about the many areas where the City Council is prevented from running the city effectively because of the lack of LA powers and we are disproportionately dependent on central government and very often the Courts to adjudicate on issues that should be within the normal power of the Council to resolve.   Because the Government of the day is over burdened with their own agenda, despite several requests to amend legislation, nothing happens. Examples of where we are seriously hampered are noise, housing tenancy, traffic. There are many other areas where as a Local Authority, we are prevented from carrying out our normal functions in the interest of the city’s wellbeing.

We propose therefore that the DCC CEO prepares a list of areas where minor amendments to legislation would free up the Council and allow it function more effectively. When we have a completed list of possible amendments, we can approach Government and suggest that the Senate be given a lead role in dealing with this piece of work. This approach could go some way to strengthen local government”

“DCC regrets the decision of government to renege on promoting a directly elected mayor for Dublin. We are conscious of the seriously weak local government system in Ireland which is very much out of kilter with the rest of the EU and runs contrary to the principals of subsidiarity as stated in the Nice Treaty.

This Council is concerned about the many areas where the City Council is prevented from running the city effectively because of the lack of LA powers and we are disproportionately dependent on central government and very often the Courts to adjudicate on issues that should be within the normal power of the Council to resolve. Because the Government of the day is over burdened with their own agenda, despite several requests to amend legislation, nothing happens. Examples of where we are seriously hampered are noise, housing tenancy, traffic. There are many other areas

where as a Local Authority, we are prevented from carrying out our normal functions in the interest of the city’s wellbeing.

We propose therefore that the DCC CEO prepares a list of areas where minor amendments to legislation would free up the Council and allow it function more effectively. When we have a completed list of possible amendments, we can approach Government and suggest that the Senate be given a lead role in dealing with this piece of work. This approach could go some way to strengthen local government”

Order: Motion Agreed.

The Manager informed Members that Assistant Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare was currently co-ordinating efforts in this regard and that a report on the matter would be brought to the next Protocol Committee meeting. 

Monthly Meetings of the Council shall be convened for the first Monday in each Month unless it is otherwise fixed by Resolution of the Council or in exceptional circumstances by an Order of the Lord Mayor.  No meeting shall be convened for a day which is a Public Holiday.  Where the first Monday of the month is a Public Holiday, the Monthly Meeting of the Council shall be convened for the following Monday.  No Meeting of the Council shall be convened during the month of August.

Order: The Members felt that the authority to change the date of a City Council meeting should remain with the elected Council and therefore agreed not to amend standing orders.

Order: It was agreed to add Councillor Aíne Clancy to the Kathleen Clarke Portrait Selection Panel in her capacity as Chair of the Arts & Culture Advisory Group.

Order: The Members felt that webcasting was an important resource in terms of both improving disability access and demonstrating transparency in local government and that all Area Committees and Strategic Policy Committees should be webcast. The decision to provide webcasting in the Area Civic Centres or to use the facilities in City Hall was at the discretion of each committee.  

Recommend to Council.

The Manager confirmed that there was a process set out in the legislation to facilitate changes to street names. However, it was within the remit of Dublin City Council to establish its own policy to guide this process.  

Order: It was agreed to refer the matter to the Commemorative Naming Committee to consider extending the current policy on the naming of infrastructure to include the Renaming of Streets.

Order: Agreed and recommend to Council.

Order: Agreed.

Order: The Members requested that the Manager write to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to express their support for the motion passed by Wexford County Council calling on the government to establish an independent convention on the future of local government.

http://www.unhcr.org/withrefugees/cities

Order: The Members recommended that the City Council become a signatory of the Statement of Solidarity #WithReugees and that it be listed as a separate item to the November City Council meeting.

·        The Manager informed Members that Dublin Bay Biosphere will be hosting EuroMAB 2019, a biennial four-day conference for stakeholders from 302 UNESCO Biospheres from Tuesday April 2^nd to Friday April 5^th 2019. They would like to hold a welcoming reception for delegates at City Hall on the evening before the conference, Monday April 1st, from 6:30pm to 8pm, and in so doing, provide an opportunity for delegates to meet with the elected members of Dublin City Council. However, the reception clashes with the April 2019 City Council meeting which is scheduled for 1^st April from 6.15 – 9.30pm.

Order: The Members recognised the importance of the Biosphere Project and felt that it was of such significance that they recommended the time of the April 2019 City Council be brought forward to earlier in the day to accommodate the welcoming reception.

Recommend to Council.

·        The Manager raised the issue of maintenance in the Mansion House and recommended a period of 4 weeks after the election of the Lord Mayor to facilitate essential maintenance and repairs.

The Members acknowledged the need to carry out maintenance works but felt that such issues should be discussed by the Mansion House Lord Mayor’s Committee.

Order: The Members agreed that the Mansion House Lord Mayors Committee should be reconvened to consider issues surrounding the maintenance schedule and other planned works in the Mansion House. The Committee to include former Lord Mayors who are still Councillors, the current Lord Mayor and the Chair of the South East Area Committee.

·        Cllr. N. O’Muiri expressed concern regarding the scheduling of events in the Rotunda during official City Council meetings. There were recent incidences were the noise emanating from the Rotunda was interfering with the business of meetings in the Chamber.

            Order: The Members agreed that official City Council business should             always have precedence in City Hall and that every effort should be     made to ensure weddings and events were not scheduled at the same   time as meetings in the Chamber. The Manager to follow up with the        Culture Recreation and Economic Services Department who have       responsibility for the management of events in City Hall.

·        Cllr. Lacey requested an update on the plans for the Rates Office. The Manager reported that there had been delays relating to the Finance Department vacating the premises.

Order: Members agreed that irrespective of the delay in the plans they wanted a site visit to the Rates Office after the next meeting of the Protocol Committee.

·        Cllr. T. Keegan requested a report on the progress made following the passing of her motion regarding the non-use of non-biodegradable items by the City Council.

Order: The Manager to investigate and report back to the Committee.

Order: Agreed.