Minutes of the December 2008 Monthly Meeting of the Shannon Town Council held in the Shannon Town Hall on Tuesday November 25th 2008 following the adjournment of the 2009 Budget Meeting

Councillor Gerry Flynn, Meara Bhaile, presided.
Present were Councillors, Duff, Lambert, McKee, McCarthy, Hillery,  Mulcahy, McMahon and McLoughlin.
 In attendance Mr. Gerard Dollard – Town Manager, and Tomás Mac Cormaic  - Town Clerk.
Also present for the first item on the Clár Oibre were Dermot O’Donnell and Paul O’Donoghue from Finian Park. 

1/12/08 New Footpath in Finian Park

Both Mr. O’Donnell and Mr. O’Donoghue addressed the meeting and requested that the new footpaths across a green area in Finian Park be removed. A list of 69 signatures of people supporting their request  had been circulated to members. Mr. O’Donnell and Mr. O’ Donoghue also stated that there was no consultation with residents before these footpaths were laid down and they also implied that there had been no consultation with elected members in relation to these footpaths.
The Town Clerk produced a map dated March 2006 detailing footpaths to be upgraded and new footpaths to be installed which formed the basis of the application for financial aid under the "Block Grant Scheme" to former Town Commissions and which had been approved by the Town Council at their April 2006 meeting. The Meara Bhaile asked that a copy of the map or a copy of the relevant portion of the map be provided to the residents group.
The following notice of motion which had been deferred from the November meeting of the Council  for decision at the December meeting was then put to a vote;’that Shannon Town Council support the call from the Finian Park Residents Group to have the footpath on the green area in Finian Park removed by Clare County Council and restored to a green area."
The motion was defeated by five votes to four votes.
Councillors Flynn, Duff, McKee and McMahon supported the motion and it was opposed by Councillors Hillery, Lambert, McCarthy, McLoughlin and Mulcahy.

2/12/08 Minutes of November Meeting

Proposed by Cllr. McKee seconded by Cllr. McLoughlin and resolved;
"that the minutes of the November monthly meeting of the Shannon Town Council held in the Shannon Town Hall on Tuesday November 4th 2008, having been circulated, be adopted and signed by the Meara Bhaile."

3/11/08 Correspondence

1. The dates for the Clare Tourism Conference were noted.  
2. Notification of the A.M.A.I. Spring Seminar was noted and it was      proposed by Cllr. Hillery, seconded by Cllr. Mulcahy and resolved;  
    "that Cllrs. McMahon and Mcloughlin, the Council’s two official delegates to the A.M.A.I. be authorised to attend this seminar."
3. A resolution adopted by Killarney Town Council in relation to the Leader Programme was noted.   
4. A resolution adopted by Kilrush Town Council calling for "the re-introduction of a Home Improvements Grant Scheme to assist low-income families in meeting the cost of undertaking essential housing repairs" was read and supported by the Shannon Town Council.
A letter from the Chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission, Mr. Justice P. Smith, to Mr. Gerard Dollard, Shannon Town Manager, outlining the Commission’s findings in relation to the allegations made against Cllr. Patricia McCarthy by Carmel de Buitleair, Runai Cumamm, Camogaiochta, Wolfe Tones na Sionna which had been circulated to members was debated. The general consensus was that all were relieved that the Standards in Public Office found that Cllr. McCarthy was innocent of the allegations made against her. However some Councillors felt that the intervention of the Standards in Public Office was unnecessary considering that a report prepared in accordance with section 174 of the Local Government Act 2001 by the Town Clerk in consultation with the Town Manager and approved by the then Meara Bhaile, Cllr. Sean McLoughlin had cleared Cllr. McCarthy of any breach of the code of conduct for elected members of local authorities.
Cllr. McCarthy then read a prepared statement outlining that while the enquiry was going on she felt it prudent to keep silent she now wanted to set the record straight. She requested that a copy of this statement together with a copy of a letter from the Standards in Public Office Commission dated July 24th 2008 to Cllr. Gerry Flynn, Meara Bhaile, Shannon Town Council and The Meara Bhaile’s reply to the Commission be retained in the Town Council’s files on the issue.

4/12/08 Report on Pitch and Putt Course

A report prepared by Cllr. McLoughlin showing four possible locations for a Pitch & Putt Course in Shannon and rated for suitability on a points system was circulated to members. The most appropriate of these would appear to be the area between Tradaree Court / Cluain Airne and Cill Chais. The drainage of this area seemed to be the only draw-back.
An examination of the possibility of improving the drainage of this area will be undertaken.

5/12/08 Community Grants

It was agreed that consideration of the distribution of the 2008 Community Grants would take place after the Adjourned Budget Meeting on Tuesday December 2nd 2008.

6/12/08 Joint Policing Committees

The Town Council is awaiting comments and suggestions from the local Garda Officers before proceeding with the setting up of A Joint Policing Committee. The matter will be revisited in January.

7/12/08   Report from Area Council Meeting

Items discussed included the Arts Centre funding where public / private partnership might be considered, flooding in some areas of the town, staffing levels and notification to councillors of any new structures such as footpaths being installed, and the demolition of Park Hall.

8/12/08   Reports from M.P.C. Chairs

Cllr. Duff reported that the next meeting of his committee would be held in January when plans for the 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be discussed.
Cllr. McMahon referred to the ongoing plan to have area and street signs erected.

9/12/08   Taxi Rank in Shannon

Proposed by Cllrs. Flynn, Duff and McMahon and deferred to a future unspecified date;
"that Shannon Town Council call on the Roads Section  of Clare County Council to identify a location for a Taxi Rank in the TC01 area and also the TC02 area and that Clare County Council carry out the putting in place of a Taxi Rank in consultation with the relevant sectors of the community."
Before any discussion took place on the notice of motion Cllr. McLoughlin excused himself from the meeting because of the possibility of a conflict of interest."

10/12/08 Air Travel Tax

Proposed by Cllr. McLoughlin, seconded by Cllr. Duff and resolved;
"that Shannon Town Council write to Minister Dempsey to ask him to withdraw the Air Travel Tax from all flights from Shannon to the E.U. and also ask the E.U. Transport Commission to investigate this tax to see if it is legal as this is an all-out assault on Shannon Airport."

11/12/08 Medical Cards for People Over 70 Years of Age

Proposed by Cllr. McCarthy, seconded by Cllr. Duff and resolved;
"that Shannon Town Council condemn the government decision to withdraw automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons over 70 years of age and call on the government to immediately withdraw this proposal."

12/12/08 Suspension of Standing Orders

Proposed by the Meara Bhaile, seconded by Cllr. Hillery and resolved;
"that Standing Orders be suspended to allow enough time to complete the Clár Oibre."

13/12/08 Drumgeely Road Junction with Tola Park

Proposed by Cllr. McCarthy, seconded by Cllr. McLoughlin and resolved;
"that Clare County Council put a directional sign on the roundabout at Drumgeely Road Junction with Tola Park."

14/12/08 Parking Outside Xtra Vision

Proposed by Cllr. Hillery, seconded by Cllr. McCarthy and resolved;
"to request an up-date on the current position, if any, regarding safer facilities for car-parking outside Xtra Vision at Skycourt Shannon."