Minutes:
Mary MacSweeney provided a verbal update on both SPC Working Groups as follow:
a. Tourism, City Markets including Night Time Economy SPC Working Group
The Working Group met on 9th November 2020. Cllr Danny Byrne, Sunil Sharpe and Cllr. Clare Byrne joined the Working Group, as approved by CPG on 25th Sept. The Chair of the Working Group, Cllr. Rachel Batten, stepped down and Cllr. Danny Byrne was nominated by the SPC chair to take over as Chair of this Working Group. Cllr. Cooney stepped in as the Chair due to technical issues encountered by Cllr. Byrne. There were a number of presentations at the Working Group including:
· Richard Guiney, Dublin Town, presented on the loss of tourism/students/office workers in the City Centre and the impact on economy and businesses, and how Covid has accelerated current trends.
· Mary MacSweeney presented on City Markets.
· Sunil Sharpe provided a progress update on the National Task Force on Night Time Economy. The first meeting of steering group has been held and the decision was made to create a number of working groups which would link back into the main group with a March 21 deadline. Sunil Sharpe noted that this deadline was ambitious and could possibly require an extension.
This working group will meet again in December for a fifth and final time before year end.
b. International Relations & EU Affairs SPC Working Group
The working group met on 28th September and 12th October. The external resource that was sought at the Full Council meeting on 14th Sept and the SPC meeting on 15th Sept has been secured. Wessel Badenhorst, Director, Urban Mode attended these two meetings of the Working Group and spoke to Members and set out a 3 step approach to address EU funding opportunities.
1. Compile an internal organisational survey examining the level of participation in EU funded projects within 2014 to 2020 period in October.
2. Plan and carry out 5 information sessions with staff and Councillors in November, examining what options are under the new EU Funding programme 2021 – 2027 and examine what way work was done under the previous programme with internal and external speakers. Information Sessions have commenced and the EU Funding Information Session – Full Council Briefing is scheduled to take place on 25th November.
3. Develop a draft European Funding Strategy for DCC.
Mary MacSweeney advised that at the same meeting, two presentations were given. The first presentation was to align DCC priorities with the European Funding Opportunities and to that end, Anthony Flynn gave a very detailed presentation looking at the Capital Programme 2020-2023 and aligning it against the EU priority areas of A Smarter Europe, A Greener Europe, A Connected Europe, A Social Europe and A Closer to Citizens Europe. Ciara O hAodha gave a presentation on an internal survey which was step 1 of the 3 step approach. The survey has been conducted, the survey issued on the 1/10/20 with a deadline of 6/10/20 for responses and survey resulted outlined 35 successful and 15 unsuccessful applications carried out across 8 Departments and 14 Sections of DCC and since then a detailed report on over 40 projects that DCC were involved in from 2014 to 2020 has been prepared by Ciara O hAodha. Mary MacSweeney concluded by saying that DCC are currently in the midst of Step 2 of this 3 step approach and that the draft Strategy should be in place by December.
Comments, Feedback & Questions:
The Chair thanked Mary MacSweeney and commended the DCC Officials for their work to date on this and thanked Cllr Batten for work to date as Chair and wished Cllr Byrne well in role as new Chair.
The Chair then opened to the floor for any questions/discussion.
Comment: Cllr. Freehill advised the members that there was a €60b emergency programme available and that DCC should have had proposals in by now, she commented on the reluctance of DCC Officials to have another proposed meeting of the working group due to work volume constraints. Cllr Freehill referred to the reluctance of other Departments around Age Friendly Projects. The Chair pointed out that her comments could only be in relation to Item 7 on the agenda and asked did Cllr. Freehill have any issues with the verbal update report given by Mary MacSweeney on the 2 Working Groups. The Chair advised Cllr. Freehill that Age Friendly Cities was not under the remit of this SPC and any queries in relation to Age Friendly Cities should be redirected to the appropriate staff officials and the SPC that are over that particular project. Cllr Freehill responded and stated in her opinion the seriousness of the situation that the South and West of Ireland are far ahead of the East in maximising EU funding. The Chair asked Cllr. Freehill what was her specific question/comment in relation to the 2 Working Groups verbal update given by Mary MacSweeney. Cllr. Freehill stated the need to work closer together and questioned the efficiency of the buy in expertise and whether it was working to best ability.
Response: Mary MacSweeney outlined once again the 3 step approach which had been endorsed by the Working Group, which was already commenced and that the 1st of the information sessions had taken place with over 40 people in attendance with the Eastern Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) and Irish European Regions Office (IREO) attending as an external stakeholder. Discussions had taken place with the European Regions Office and feedback is that the new policy funding programmes are currently being shaped and that these information sessions
with internal and external stakeholders will be invaluable in building relationships with key organisations who will know what DCC’s interests are. Anthony Flynn reiterated the comments that Mary MacSweeney had made and advised Members that DCC are in a strong position to have DCC’s priorities identified and a draft strategy in place to present to the Members by the end of this year. Collaborations have taken place on 3 occasions with EMRA and feedback is that DCC is in a very strong position and ahead of most local authorities, and he asked if the time could now be given to allow DCC Officials to prepare and provide a detailed draft Strategy for the Members and the Chair.
Comment: Cllr. Freehill began speaking about Agenda Item 9.a.iii) the Motion regarding the Dublin Belfast Relations which she had submitted for consideration, but the Chair instructed that the agenda would be adhered to very strictly and this item could not be discussed until Item 9 was reached.
Note: At end of meeting; Cllr. Cooney asked the Chair to consider a proposal that had been made at the Tourism, City Markets & Night Time Economy Working Group meeting on 9th November, to extend the working group to a deadline of March 2021. This was agreed by the Chair in light with the changes of the working group membership.