My first question at today’s (21st March) Municipal District meeting, ‘Since it was confirmed to this municipal district that we were entitled to ask for a governance report from the Riverbank Arts Centre in return for funding, can councillors be furnished with the report of it having been requested or received?
Here is the report issued by: Ms S Kavanagh, Director of Service, Economic Community and Cultural Development: At an in-committee meeting of the Kildare Newbridge Municipal District on 21 June 2017 a series of questions were asked by Councillor McLoughlin Healy that were more appropriate to be addressed to the Board of Management of Riverbank.
Following the meeting I asked Councillor McLoughlin Healy to forward me the questions so that I could be sure that none were overlooked. The questions were furnished to me and, following receipt of a response from the Board of Management, a reply issued to the councillor on 01 August 2017 – a copy of the reply was furnished to all of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District members.
A “governance report” was not sought although governance was referred to. As discussed previously with the Municipal District members funding provided to Riverbank Arts Theatre is provided on the basis of a funding agreement. Kildare County Council is satisfied, as a funding partner, that this funding helps to provide an excellent service to the people of Kildare..
Council Vote relating to the Riverbank Arts Centre
My second question at today’s (21st March) Municipal District meeting, ‘ In relation to the statement in the Annual Report which states that the council has 80% of the vote relating to the Riverbank Arts Centre, can the council confirm what does this mean and how is 80% of a vote executed?
Here is the report issued by: Ms S Kavanagh, Director of Service, Economic Community and Cultural Development: There are five Directors on the Board of Management of Riverbank Arts Centre Ltd. Each Director has one vote. Three of the Directors were nominated by Kildare County Council and one is a Kildare County Council official therefore Kildare County Council has 80% of the voting rights as a percentage of the total Board of Management.
That the council publish the Town Hall Review Report online
My second motion at today’s (21st March) Municipal District meeting, ‘As there is no commercially sensitive data in the Town Hall review report, that the council publish the report online so that the tax-payers who paid for the report may access it. Can the council also confirm who ordered the review, how much it cost and what the outcome of this third review/plan is to be.
Here is the report issued by: Ms A M Conneely, A/Senior Executive Officer, Community & Cultural Department: The council have no plans to publish the report as this review holds commercially sensitive information. The cost to carry out the review was €1,500.
Following the in-committee Municipal District meeting in February, it was agreed a tiered pricing policy will be brought to the Municipal District for consideration. A needs analysis for use of the town hall will be carried out and when the executive agrees the operational management of the town hall, the members will be informed.
Council outline the strategy/policy/protocol for communication between this municipal district and the Public Participation Network
My first motion at today’s (21st March) Municipal District meeting, ‘That the council outline the strategy/policy/protocol for communication between this municipal district and the Public Participation Network including for example where funding/grants are available or where the expertise of a member/s of the Public Participation Network might be required.
Here is the report issued by: Ms A M Conneely, A/Senior Executive Officer, Community & Cultural Department: The Public Participation Network is a formal network that operates independently from Kildare County Council. The PPN User Guide (published by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in March 2017) states that the PPN is the “go to” body for organisations who wish to benefit from community and voluntary expertise at their table. For this reason, formal structures have been put in place whereby PPN representatives input into, and influence, Kildare County Council’s policy making by participating on SPCs and the LCDC.
If any Municipal District wishes to communicate with the PPN then they may do so through the PPN Coordinator at kildareppn@gmail.com The members should be aware that the Community Department, and all other departments in Kildare County Council, routinely notify Kildare PPN when funding or grants become available. The only exception to this is the retained Local Property Tax fund as the allocation of this fund is a matter directly for the municipal district members.
Kildare County Council Self Help Grant 2018
Who qualifies for this scheme?
All Kildare County Council tenants who are up to date with their rent are eligible to apply.
What work is covered under the scheme?
The objective of this scheme is to assist Local Authority tenants to carry out improvement works on their home.
Qualifying works:
- Replacement of older gas/oil boiler with new high efficiency condensing boilers.
- Replacement of defective windows and doors which have not been replaced by Kildare County Council in the previous 5 years.
- Replacement of defective internal doors/press doors/hot press doors and skirting.
- Replacement of defective kitchen units (Minimum standard: MDF – teak faced)
- Repair or replacement of fascias and soffits.
- Installation of new storage shed.
- Replacement of boundary fence/wall.
- Installation of new room space heating stoves.
General Conditions of the scheme:
- Applications must be received on the official application form within the defined deadline.
- Applicants must have an up to date rent account.
- Only works carried out after the grant is offered will be eligible for payment.
- Invoices presented must be for the total cost of the works and must be VAT inclusive.
- All new installations must conform to the current Kildare County Council Specification.
- Improvement works which qualify for other schemes or departmental funding are not eligible under the Self Help Scheme.
- Tenants are responsible for the appointment of contractors and must ensure all appropriate documentation and competencies are in order.
- All applications will be subject to a site assessment by a technical officer of Kildare County Council to confirm the work is necessary and following completion to confirm compliance with grant.
- Three quotations must be included with each application from three registered contractors.
- Tenants are limited to one grant per year.
- Funding for this grant scheme is limited so it may not be possible to offer grants to all applicants.
- Kildare County Council, may, in exceptional cases consider works outside of those listed as qualifying works, if deemed appropriate to the scheme and in consideration of circumstances and need.
- Grants must be accepted within a defined timeframe. Where grants are not accepted within the specified period, the grant offer may be withdrawn.
Appointment of contractors
For the purposes of conformance with the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Regulations; the tenant will be undertaking the role of “The Client” in terms of tendering and appointing competent contractors. All works must be carried out by competent tradespersons to the satisfaction of the tenant. All requisite plumbing and RECI certificates must be provided.
How much of a Self Help Grant can I get?
The amount of grant you may be offered will depend on the works involved. The Self Help Grant will not cover the full cost of the work.
Up to 90% of the works may be grant aided, however the maximum grant available is €2,500, and the tenant is liable for all costs which are in excess of above the grant approved.
Who organises to have the work done?
It will be a matter for the tenant to arrange to have the work tendered, carried out and certified.
Who pays the contractor?
It is the responsibility of the tenant to arrange payment to the contractor. Once work is completed the tenant will submit the invoice to Kildare County Council Housing Maintenance Department. Following inspection by a Kildare County Council Technical Officer to confirm the work has been completed the approved grant payment will be issued to the tenant by means of bank transfer.
Building Regulation Requirements
All proposed works must comply with the current Building Regulations.
If you have any further queries about the Self Help Scheme, please contact the Housing Maintenance Office at (045)980447 or (045)980562
Application forms should be completed and returned to Self Help Scheme 2018, Housing Maintenance Department, Level 5, Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co. Kildare, W91 X77F prior to close of business on or before Tuesday 10th April at 5.00 pm. Applications can also be delivered to the Customer Service Desk on Level 1.
Re: My decision to resign from my Fine Gael Membership
After over a year of failed attempts to get the party to address, in any meaningful way, the persistent attempts by Fine Gael Party members to silence, harass and undermine me, I am resigning my membership of Fine Gael.
When FG pursued me to run for them in the local elections in 2014, with a view to also running in the general election 2016, I asked for and received assurances that the sitting T.D. and grass roots membership in Kildare were absolutely supportive of me running for the party. Before agreeing to run, I sought and received assurances that the FG Party was fully supportive of my views about new politics and about standards in public office. Soon after I was elected to Kildare County Council, FG councillors attempted to block my nomination to the board of the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board; a board which is now the subject of investigation by the Department of Education and the Comptroller and Auditor General.
There have been a number of attempts to silence me both on the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board and in Kildare County Council for raising issues relating to irregularities and/or improper practice. Attempts to discredit me when I proved difficult to silence happened from the bottom up in the party – all the way from the local FG branches, the majority of whose members were supporters of the local T.D.- Deputy Heydon, to the FG group in the Council, and right up to the National Executive on which Deputy Heydon also sat.
The most senior members of the party, including the Taoiseach – Leo Varadkar, Secretary General – Tom Curran, Minister for Equality – Charlie Flanagan, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Party – Martin Heydon, former Director of Elections – Brian Hayes and others in the party, have been aware of the grinding harassment and isolation I have experienced as a FG councillor in Kildare. Yet, have failed to address it. Although Brian Hayes clearly articulated to me the low esteem in which the upper echelons of the party hold councillors, for a time I believed that the best way to make any progress was to speak out internally about the poor behaviour I had experienced and to give the party every opportunity to address the old boys club culture in FG, as I had experienced it.
Last July 2017, frustrated by the complete lack of progress on a formal complaint made by me in November 2016 about fellow FG councillors in Kildare, I asked the Taoiseach to personally look into the complaint and why it had not been progressed. I provided the Taoiseach with a copy of the formal complaint which detailed my experience of harassment and isolation, including evidence of FG councillors attempting to collude with others to block my motions being heard in Kildare County Council. My complaint had not been progressed, while on the other hand the Party had removed the whip from me for six months for speaking out about the behaviour and actions of one of my fellow councillors. Weeks later in August 2017, I received an email from Tom Curran, almost nine months after I had lodged my official complaint, in which he stated that;
‘… the Disciplinary Committee do not intend to hold a hearing into the said complaint. However they are of the view that the matters raised point to a number of shortcomings.’
The letter went on to state that the;
‘Disciplinary Committee intended to recommend to the Executive that a group of Councillors from outside Kildare be charged with the responsibility for devising protocols pertaining to the holding of group meetings. Such a protocol would deal with the calling of group meetings, conduct of such meetings, minuting of decisions and communications among members. The said group of Cllrs would also devise a protocol covering arrangements with other political groupings including the minuting of arrangements entered into. We would appreciate if you would become involved in such a group.’
Tom Curran also noted that my six month whip suspension period had passed, further adding that;
‘We hope we will hear from you in that regard.’
In effect, the Party accepted that a group of councillors needed to be brought in from outside the county to explain to the FG councillors in Kildare Council, some of whom are in politics for decades, how to conduct a meeting and how to communicate with their colleagues. Yet, those same councillors, whose behaviour had triggered the need for such a unique and unprecedented intervention, were to attract no consequences whatsoever, not even questioning before FG’s disciplinary committee as had been required of me. I expressed my extreme disappointment at the obvious differences in the way complaints about others and complaints about myself had been dealt with. I decided against taking up the offer to apply for the return of the whip unless and until there was any real evidence of an honest intent to address the issues in Kildare. Seven months later, the review of FG protocols and procedures in Kildare, that was to start in September 2017 and finish by December 2017, has not yet started. I doubt it ever will. I no longer believe the assurances given to me by FG prior to running for them in 2014, that FG is a party of new politics. My experience has proven otherwise. How can the FG party espouse accountability and transparency in the conduct of public affairs when it refuses to hold itself to account?
FG is excellent at paying lip-service to New Politics, to the importance of accountability, transparency and fairness in public service. It is excellent at paying lip-service to the value of attracting and retaining more women in politics. But saying something isn’t the same as believing it. FG has an inconsistent and often secretive approach to complaints of bullying and harassment within the party. Their response is driven more by the goal of protecting seats than it is by any principled stand against bad behaviour.
I know, having spoken to a lot of women in politics over the last couple of years, that I am not alone in my experience either inside or outside Fine Gael. This year we celebrate the centenary of the first time women were allowed to vote in Ireland and stand in Dáil elections. We have come so far, yet, not far enough. Women, if and when they succeed in overcoming massive obstacles to getting selected and elected, are reluctant to speak out about bad behaviour for fear of being viewed as weak. They are even reticent to support other female politicians who speak out for fear of recriminations from their typically male-dominated party, their male colleagues, or from their party members, all of whom they rely on for votes, for canvassing and for support in Council or Dáil chambers. Too many female politicians pull the ladder up after themselves. How many of those who huddled around an upset Senator Catherine Noone in the Dáil bar have spoken out to support her or called for her bully’s time to be up. Or to say… I believe her.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #PressForProgress. Lets press for progress in this centenary year by asking women in politics to speak out, and support female colleagues who speak out about bullying and intimidating behaviour, just as we have done for women in other sectors.
In the meantime I will continue the work I have been doing in the constituency as a completely independent councillor. I am looking forward to this final year of my term of office in Kildare County Council and to what might yet be achieved. On a positive note, freed from the burden of attempting to seek justice and change from within the FG party, I am excited to refocus energies into new projects, including a soon-to-be launched virtual anti-corruption hub.
It has been a very intense, and at times, very difficult four years since I was first persuaded to run. I want to thank my family, friends and my supporters for your enduring support and loyalty particularly during the most difficult times. You are the reason I do what I do. You make it worthwhile. For that, I am hugely grateful.
Kildare County Council – Severe Weather Alert
Press Statement – Severe Weather Alert
Kildare County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team met this morning to discuss and analyse the snow and ice warnings issued by Met Eireann. As a result Kildare County Council has activated the Severe Weather Plan in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, the H.S.E. and the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces have confirmed to Kildare County Council that they will make their equipment and personnel available if required.
Kildare County Council’s response teams including roads, water, fire, civil defence are on standby to deal with the impact of any severe weather.
The Severe Weather Assessment Team will continue to review operations and will re-convene tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 27 February 2018).
Motorists are urged to continue to exercise caution on all roads when driving.
Further updates will be published on our website http://kildare.ie/countycouncil, Facebook and Twitter.
Kildare County Council Contact information;
During office hours – 045 980200
Out of hours – 1890 500 333
Homeless out of hours – 1800 804 307
For more information about being prepared for adverse weather conditions, visit http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/EmergencyNewsandInformation
The Peter McVerry Trust, on behalf of Kildare County Council will be putting the Cold Weather Initiative for the county into operation to provide shelter for people sleeping rough during the severe weather conditions and the Freephone Number for this service is 1800 804 307.
Use left over money from last year’s LPT fund to progress the Community Garden Scheme
My first motion at today’s (21st Feb) Municipal District meeting, ‘That the council use left over money from last year’s LPT fund to progress the community garden scheme.
Here is the report issued by Ms E Hanlon, Head of Finance, ‘This is a matter for the members to agree’.
Flooding in Belmount Green
My second question at today’s (21 Feb) Municipal District meeting, ‘ Can the council clarify if it has any plan to prevent future flooding in Belmount Green due to the worrying levels of flooding already occurring in close proximity to homes?
Here is the report issued by Ms E Wright, Senior Executive Officer, Roads, Transportation and Public Safety, ‘ The flooding issue in Belmount Green relates to a malfunctioning surface water attenuation system in the adjacent Walshestown Park development which is not in the charge of Kildare County Council. The Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District office has no role in this matter. Any queries should be addressed to the Development Control Section for more information on how the issue is to be resolved.
Broader and more representative membership of the Curragh Forum
My second motion at today’s (21st Feb) Municipal District meeting, ‘That the council’s representative on the Curragh Forum ask for broader and more representative membership of the Curragh Forum including a member to represent the sensitivity of the eco-system of the Curragh Plains and one or more members to represent those who enjoy the Curragh as a social /community amenity for walking , running, cycling through or training on.
Here is the report issued by Mr T McDonnell, Director of Service, Housing and Corporate Services, ‘A verbal report will be given at the meeting’.