Agenda and minutes

Order: Minutes agreed.

Cllr. Joe Costello: "Regions in Focus - Association of Irish Regions Seminar - Climate Action". Four Seasons Hotel, County Monaghan, 7th & 8th February 2023.

Cllr. Joe Costello: "Regions in Focus - Association of Irish Regions Seminar - Climate Action". Four Seasons Hotel, County Monaghan, 7th & 8th February 2023.

Order: Report Noted.

The Manager confirmed that the Party Rooms on the upper floors of City Hall had monitors that could be used to watch the live stream of Council meetings. Prajwal would liaise with the Members to ensure they were operational and to instruct on their use.

A tender for a new Audio-Visual System for City Hall was being prepared and this would include A/V facilities for the party rooms on the lower ground floor.

Cllr. Flynn expressed concern regarding the noise level for events in the Rotunda which made it extremely difficult for Councillors to work in City Hall. The Manager agreed to raise the issue with the events co-ordinator in City Hall.  

Cllr. MacDonncha raised concerns about suitability of the new pods on the lower ground floor. The Manager reported that new furniture had been ordered which would improve the usability and feel of the spaces. Once operational a 6 month review could be conducted to assess their functionality.  

Order. Motion Agreed.

Fanchea Gibson briefed the Members on recent events involving International Relations.

The Members thanked Fanchea for the report and acknowledged the valuable work that was being undertaken to build and develop relationships at an international level. However, they did request that going forward there were greater efforts to engage with Councillors and to increase their involvement when delegations were visiting the City.

Order: Noted.

The Manager briefed members on the current funding arrangements that were in place for Councillor Training.

The addition of the following amendment to the Councillor Training Programme 2023 was proposed:

“In the event that a Councillor has exhausted all of their annual Training allowance of €1,000 but wishes to undertake further training, it is permissible to transfer all or part of the unused Training Allowance from one councillor to another. This will require the authorisation in writing of the both elected members concerned and the group leader of the councillor sharing their allowance. Where a Councillor wishes to avail of this facility it should be communicated to the Senior Executive Officer in the Chief Executive’s Office. Notwithstanding the above, the maximum combined training allowance for any one Councillor in a calendar year is €3,000.”

Order: The proposed agreement was agreed and recommended to Council.

The Members thanked the Public Arts Manager for his report and requested that the he make enquiries with other institutions in the State with regards to the availability of sculptures and art work that could be installed on the O’Connell Plinth until the new commission is in place.  

Order: Report Noted.

The Members thanked the Manager for the report. However, they were concerned that the role and importance of Dublin City Council was not adequately reflected in the current relationship with St. Patrick’s Festival.

Order: Report noted and Richard Shakespeare to be invited to attend the next meeting to discuss the issue.

The Manager reported following:

·         Councillor Mary Freehill was taking a temporary leave of absence from the Council and her position would be filled by a co-option at the City Council meeting on 8^th May.

·         The name plate for the Kathleen Clarke portrait will be installed on 2^nd May. The Members once again commended the project and felt that due to its significance it would be appropriate for an information booklet detailing the steps involved in bringing it to fruition be developed.  

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

·         It was suggested that signage be arranged at the entrance to City Hall to notify Councillors and other visitors that a wedding or a civil ceremony is  in progress so as to not to disturb or disrupt proceedings.

·         A request was made to ensure period products were available in all the toilets in City Hall.

Order; The Manager agreed to raise both issues with the City Hall Building Manager.

Order: Agreed.