Agenda item

The following Emergency Motions were tabled:

Emergency motion in the names of Cllrs. Joe Costello, Nial Ring, Anthony Flynn, Cieran Perry, Declan Meenagh, Ray McAdam, Janet Horner, Séamas McGrattan, Colm O’Rourke, Darcy Lonergan, Eimear McCormack and Janice Boylan:

The members welcome the purchase by the City Council of No. 422 North Circular Road, Dublin 1, the house where Sean O’Casey wrote, among other works, the great plays of Shadow of a Gunman, The Plough and the Stars and Juno and the Paycock.

Dublin City Council and its members appreciate the national and international relevance and recognition of Sean O’Casey as a writer of exceptional ability, as well as his in-depth perception of Irish life as evidenced through his plays, his six volumes of auto-biography, four volumes of letters and much more, and believe that his native city of Dublin owes him due, proper and meaningful recognition, an opportunity for which now arises through the acquisition of No. 422 North Circular Road.

In order to recognise and honour the incredibly important work of Sean O’Casey by the creation of a vibrant Community, Cultural and Arts venue at 422 North Circular Road, the Council requests the Lord Mayor to convene a meeting of the campaigning group, other interested Councillors and relevant Dublin City Council Officials, to prepare a plan for the use of No. 422 as outlined, for presentation to the three relevant Government Ministers (Housing and Local Government, Arts and Culture and Finance) with a view to restoring the premises and securing its future.

JUSTIFICATION:

Decision on future of house imminent.

ORDER: Agreed. Motion to be sent to City Council.

Emergency motion in the names of Cllrs. Nial Ring and Cieran Perry:

This committee agrees that the Royal Canal Bridge at Russell Street, currently named Clonliffe Bridge/Russell Street Bridge, be officially re-named as "Bloody Sunday Bridge" in commemoration of the events at Croke Park on 21st November 2020 when 14 innocent civilians were killed by RIC/Auxiliaries/Black and Tans.

JUSTIFICATION:

100th anniversary this month. Suitable timing for the process to be put in train.

ORDER: Agreed.  To be referred to the Arts, Culture, Leisure and Recreation SPC.

The following Motions to the Area Managers were tabled:

Motion in the name of Councillor Janice Boylan

That this Central Area Committee calls on the government to Repeal the Seal on the Mother & Baby Homes. The information that was provided to Ministers by the Attorney General is now being questioned and as such an investigation needs to be launched.  

As per the Data Protection Commission: 2004 Commissions of Investigation Act does not allow (still less require) ‘sealing’ of Mother and Baby Homes archive in Minister’s Office. 

This Area Committee is asking why did the Attorney General tell the Minister otherwise? And we request to see the Attorney General’s advice.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Letter to be sent to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Motion in the name of Councillor Janice Boylan

That this Area Committee fully supports the Henry Street Traders and their Christmas Market going ahead this year. Covid restrictions have had a huge effect on businesses across the island and we understand these measures needed to be put in place and then lifted again when the time was right. This is a constant thing now and we need to learn to live with this virus by having good strong plans in place. However we also need to understand that there cannot be a case to stop the market from going ahead when other markets are planning and working towards opening in December. For example Mistletown in the Dublin Markets are planning to go ahead once we reach level three again. This event is due to have 80 stalls, a bar, a carousel amongst other activities in an area smaller than the length of Henry Street. We need to be supporting our traders and looking at working on the market going ahead rather than saying it can’t and using covid restrictions as the reasons. We are all aware that these restrictions and rules change every few weeks. We are calling on management to allow the market to go ahead and to answer and comment on the questions already submitted on behalf of the Henry Street Committee by Cllr Boylan in relation to the Mistletown event. This event was told they hold the responsibility and take all the risk. All traders have their own public liability insurance and know the risk is theirs to take for all trading events.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Report to Councillor.

Motion in the name of Councillor Nial Ring

That this Area Committee in noting that, since the introduction of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016, only 6 properties in the Central Area have been purchased by tenants (out of 1,338 qualifying properties) calls on DCC management to intensify its marketing/incentivisation/awareness of this scheme to qualifying tenants so that this opportunity for DCC tenants to own their own home is not missed because of non-awareness of the opportunity.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Report to Councillor.

Motion in the name of Councillors Nial Ring, Christy Burke, Cieran Perry, Joe Costello, Janice Boylan, Darcy Lonergan, Eimer McCormack, Anthony Flynn, Ray McAdam, Colm O’Rourke and Declan Meenagh.

That this Area Committee fully supports the forthcoming application to the NEIC initiative (North East Inner City Initiative) of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire for funding towards the landscaping of their proposed new school, as we are in full agreement with the Parent's Council, the Board of management and the staff of the school, that the Landscaping proposal put forward for the new school will not only enhance the building and the surrounding area physically,  but will also contribute positively to the school learning and playing environment as well as contributing to the mental wellbeing of both pupils and teachers alike. 

The committee notes that this application comes directly under two of the four key areas for priority action identified in the Mulvey Report (The Social and Economic Regeneration of Dublin's North Inner City - February 2017), namely, Education and Physical Landscape and further notes that the application is unique insofar as comes from a school which supports, promotes and develops Irish language and Culture which we fully support and endorse. 

Go dtacaíonn an Coiste seo go hiomlán leis an iarratas do thionscnamh NEIC (Tionscnamh Oirthuaisceart Lár na Cathrach) ó Ghaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, le haghaidh maoiniú do thírdhreachú na scoile nua atá beartaithe acu, toisc go bhfuil muid ar aon intinn go hiomlán le Comhairle na dTuismitheoirí, an Bord bainistíochta agus foireann na scoile,  go bhfeabhsóidh an tírdhreachú atá molta don scoil nua, an fhoirgneamh agus an ceantar mórtimpeall, ní hamháin go fisiciúil, ach go gcuirfidh an tírdhreachú go dearfach le timpeallacht foghlama agus imeartha na scoile chomh maith,  rud a rachaidh chun sochair le folláine mheabhrach na ndaltaí agus múinteoirí araon.

Tugann an coiste dá aire go dtagann an t-iarratas seo go díreach faoi dhá cheann de na ceithre phríomhréimse le haghaidh gníomhaíochta tosaíochta atá luaithe i dTuarascáil Mulvey (Athghiniúint Shóisialta agus Eacnamaíoch Lárchathair Thuaidh Bhaile Átha Cliath - Feabhra 2017), is é sin Oideachas agus Tírdhreach Fisiciúil agus tugann an coiste dá aire go bhfuil an t-iarratas uathúil sa mhéid go dtagann sé ó scoil a thacaíonn, a chuireann chun cinn agus a fhorbraíonn an Ghaeilge agus cultúr na hÉireann rudaí a dtacaímid go hiomlán leo.

ORDER:  Motion amended to the following:

That this Area Committee fully supports the forthcoming application to DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire for funding towards the landscaping of their proposed new school, as we are in full agreement with the Parent's Council, the Board of management and the staff of the school, that the Landscaping proposal put forward for the new school will not only enhance the building and the surrounding area physically,  but will also contribute positively to the school learning and playing environment as well as contributing to the mental wellbeing of both pupils and teachers alike. 

The committee notes that this application comes directly under two of the four key areas for priority action identified in the Mulvey Report (The Social and Economic Regeneration of Dublin's North Inner City - February 2017), namely, Education and Physical Landscape and further notes that the application is unique insofar as comes from a school which supports, promotes and develops Irish language and Culture which we fully support and endorse. 

Agreed.  For referral to the Area Manager.

Motion in the name of Councillor Nial Ring

Having regard to my motion passed at the February 2017 Central Area meeting, where it was agreed that “following consultation with the local history group in the area as well as relatives of Sean Foster R.I.P., this Committee confirms that the (North King Street) development should be named after Sean Foster who, at two years of age, was the youngest casualty of the Easter Rising and who was shot while being wheeled in his pram by his mother on Church Street, outside Father Mathew Hall” that this Area Committee further agrees that a suitable plaque be erected at the complex, not only to commemorate Sean, but also to ensure that anyone living in or passing the development will be aware of the circumstances behind his death and the choice of name for the complex. Furthermore, the wording on the plaque should be agreed with this area committee, the local area history group and, of course, the relatives of  Sean Foster R.I.P. who through the assistance of Joe Duffy, were contacted and wholeheartedly encouraged and supported the naming of Sean Foster Place.

ORDER:  Agreed. Details to be sent to the Project Manager, Housing Regeneration Section.

Motion in the name of Councillors Nial Ring, Cieran Perry, Janice Boylan and Anthony Flynn

Having regard to the increased number of proposed co-living developments in our area for which planning permission is being applied, mainly through the SHD legislation, (Planning and Development (Strategic Housing Development) Regulations, 2017), this Area Committee rejects the concept of co-living accommodation on the basis of the following observations and opinions:

This Area Committee notes the use of phrases such as “shared services”, “shared living space”, “clusters” etc., all wording used and put forward by applicants in an attempt to persuade us that, for example, "Allocation per bed space" of 5.3sq.m. per person (in one particular application), the equivalent of two standard car parking spaces, somehow represents "Housing Quality" and "Quality Living".

The Area Committee further notes that applicants do not seem to be aware of, made any inquiries into, or have taken account of, the many studies (including psychological studies) on the understanding of the social dynamics of shared living which have been researched and published by many prominent academic institutions.

The Area Committee also notes that applicants display no consideration of the impact on the local community, of not only the proposed buildings, but on the long term sustainability of the neighbourhoods affected by the proposed developments. Co-living would, by its very nature, attract a transient population which, according to studies carried out, impact very negatively on the overall social fabric of an area.

The Area Committee also notes that there are no Part V requirements (or equivalent) on these developments, ensuring that no social or community gain is required or forthcoming to either the local community or the city.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Report to Councillor.

Motion in the name of Councillor Declan Meenagh

That the Central Area Committee notes with concern the failure of DCC and TII to agree developments on old Irish Rail Land next to Mount Bernard Park.                                                                                                 That the Committee believes this land should be put to some public use,

That the Committee will write to the Chief Executive and the Minister for Transport asking for this land to be put to some productive use.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Report to Councillor.

Motion in the name of Councillor Declan Meenagh

That the Central Area Committee notes the recent number of changes of use of student accommodation into tourist accommodation.  That the Committee believes there is enough tourist accommodation in the city, and does not support this change, which is effectively co-living through the back door.  That the Committee reaffirms its support for decent housing that people actually want to live in, not student accommodation for adults.

That the Committee opposes any further change in use from student accommodation to tourist accommodation.

ORDER:  Agreed.  Report to Councillor.