{meta} Agenda item - Motion in the name of Councillor Damian O'Farrell

Agenda item

 

That this North Central Committee calls on DCC to ensure that Licence application details are made easily available to members of the public so that they can participate in the public consultation process?  For example, it is not possible to look up Outdoor Event or Telecomms applications on the DCC website.  An information system, similar to that used for Planning Applications be put in place please. 

 

Minutes:

That this North Central Committee calls on DCC to ensure that Licence application details are made easily available to members of the public so that they can participate in the public consultation process?  For example, it is not possible to look up Outdoor Event or Telecomms applications on the DCC website.  An information system, similar to that used for Planning Applications be put in place please. 

 

Reply:

 

Telecom companies apply to carry out road works using the national Map Road Licencing system (MRL) which was organised by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and operated by the Road Management Office (RMO). Users have to register to operate the system and it is not available to members of the public.

 

Contact:         Conrad Rennicks, Roadworks Control Unit

Email:             conrad.rennicks@dublincity.ie

 

Telecommunications Section 254 licence applications are administered by The Environment and Transport Department and follow a different process to that of planning applications. However, arrangements are being made between Road Maintenance Services (RMS) and Planning registry to provide section 254 details of Telecommunications infrastructure applications on the Dublin City Council APAS system.  A review is being undertaken as to whether this information is available to the public on the Dublin City Council website. Details of applications are provided to the public on request by RMS via e-mail (roadmaintenance@dublincity.ie) or by post.

 

Contact:           Deri Flood, SEE. IMU, RMS     

Tel:                086 3883986              

Email:             deri.flood@dublincity.ie

 

In the case of Outdoor Event applications the regulations require that “The local authority shall make the application, any accompanying documents, maps and drawings and any submission or observation made in relation to it, available for inspection during office hours at the offices of the local authority and such other places as it considers appropriate, for a period of 3 weeks from the date of receipt of the application”

 

Currently a summary notification of Outdoor Event licence applications is uploaded onto the Council’s website by Planning Enforcement and Outdoor Event Licence Section. This notification outlines where the application can be inspected and outlines the contact details from Dublin City Council to which submissions/observations can be made. Outdoor event licence applications accompanied by copies of any submissions/observations are made available for inspection at the planning counter in line with the statutory regulations and timeframes.

 

In light of this motion consideration will be given to how Outdoor Event applications can be made more accessible to the public.

 

Contact:         Graham Kiersey, Planning Enforcement and Outdoor Event Licence Section

Tel:                 222 3699

Email:             graham.kiersey@dublincity.ie

 

 

In relation to Councillor O’Farrell’s original question on Telecommunications Section 254 licence applications, the reply states that “A review is being undertaken as to whether this information is available to the public on the Dublin City Council website”.  The Councillor would like to know who is undertaking this review, will the public and councillors be able to participate and contribute to it?  He also welcomes the following statement in relation to outdoor events and wants it progressed. “In light of this motion consideration will be given to how Outdoor Event applications can be made more accessible to the public.”

 

Councillor Cooney raised the issue of the event licences for St. Anne’s and Fairview Park.  Manager Karl Mitchell stated that event licences do not come to the NCAC for debate.  However, the area office could organise John Downey & a member of the events unit to either do up a report or come to a meeting to explain the procedure of licences and the communications piece of same, if this would be helpful.

 

Councillor Stocker requested that the venues be registered for the new ticket touting legislation introduced in 2021, to ensure that ticket touting doesn’t take place.  Currently our public parks are not registered and she would like to see this happen and asked that this be addressed by John Downey at the presentation.

 

Councillor Heney stated that it would be really useful if the membership could be advised in advance of any concerts planned for any North Central Area park as has been done by Fergus O’Carroll in the past.