NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY

MANAGEMENT

REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 1 of 10

Do: Baill Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí To: Each Member of Offaly County Council Tuairisc mhíosúil bainistíochta a bhreithniú i gcomhair tionóil mí Nollaig. Monthly Management Report for consideration at the December Monthly Meeting.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS:

A schedule of Chief Executive Orders is included with the

Council Agenda.

FINANCE:

Report to the 30th November 2017 – (Appendix I).

REPORT AT A GLANCE

Durrow Monastic Site Work is still progressing to deliver the walking route to Durrow High Cross. The Ministerial Consent for works was approved on 4 December. Local Improvement Scheme 2017 Offaly County Council has received €771,707 for Local Improvement Scheme works in 2017 - 23 schemes have been progressed throughout the County.

Stage 4 Submission - made to Department for approval to start on site - 33 no. Local Authority houses at Blundell Wood Edenderry, marking the end of the review of tenders in advance of the award of contract to the preferred bidder. Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2018- 2022 Offaly LCDC ratified the SICAP 2018-2022 Tender Procurement: Final Report and Offaly Integrated Local Development Company were selected as the successful tenderer. The contract was signed at the LCDC meeting of 14th December. The investment in Offaly is €760,463 for 2018, and the contract will run for five years.

D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y TOWN AND VILLAGE RENEWAL SCHEME 2018 - Community

groups have the opportunity to bring forward ideas for

physical improvement and / or to increase the economic

potential of town and villages. The closing date for the

submission of project outlines to the Planning Department

is FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY 2018.

AGE FRIENDLY STRATEGY

The Offaly Age Friendly Consultation is underway. One to

one meetings with Alliance members due to take place on

the 9TH & 10TH OF JANUARY. Next Alliance meeting is on

25TH JANUARY.

Regional Finals for IRISH BEST YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

COMPETITION 2018 - The Regional Finals will take place

FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 2018 IN ÁRAS CHILL DARA, DEVOY

PARK, NAAS, CO. KILDARE. Minister Breen has accepted an

invitation to attend

ARTS ACT GRANTS - Voluntary Community Groups,

individual artists, town bands, drama and musical groups

within Offaly are invited to apply for funding the Closing

date for applications is 26 JAN 2018 AT 3PM.

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 2 of 10

PLANNING:

To end Nov 2017

To end Nov 2016

Total 2016

Planning Applications

476 378 441

Extensions of Duration Applications & Assessments

13 18 20

Warning Letters and (Enforcement Notices) issued

103 (39)

122

(41)

125 (41)

Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2018 A preliminary call for project outlines has

been underway since November 29th 2017

via the local newspapers, the Council’s

website and through social

media. Community groups have the

opportunity to bring forward ideas for

physical improvement and / or to increase the

economic potential of town and villages. It is

anticipated that the central aim of the 2018 –

yet to be announced – will be to support the

revitalisation of towns and villages, in order

to improve the working environment of their

communities and to increase the potential to

support increased economic activity into the

future. The closing date for the submission

of project outlines to the Planning

Department is Friday 19th January 2018.

Vacant Sites Levy

Preparation work is being undertaken

currently on the approach to the

implementation of the vacant sites levy in

County Offaly in accordance with the Urban

Regeneration and Housing Act 2015. The

provisions of the Act provide in the first

instance for the inclusion of an explicit

objective in relevant development plans for

the development and renewal of identified

areas in need of residential or regeneration

development across the county. All

documents will be placed on public display

and open to comment for a period of no less

than 4 weeks in December 2017.

Part 8 for Grand Canal Greenway

Phase 2 Edenderry to Digby Bridge,

Tullamore, is currently under preparation

and will be going on public display in

December 2017 / January 2018.

ROADS:

Roads Programme 2017

The Municipal Districts Roads Programmes

are very near complete with works to be

finalized by the first week of December

2017.

TII National Road Pavement Schemes

2017

Contract Work on the N52 Birr to

Riverstown Scheme (0.6km) has been

completed. The N62 Ferbane Town(3.1km)

Scheme Traffic Calming and Pavement

Improvement Scheme is well advanced.

Works are to commence on the N62 south of

Doon Cross within the first week of

December 2017. The current value of these

projects is just over €1.3m.

TII National Road Safety Schemes 2017

The Civils Works Contractor has

commenced work on the Cloghan Signalized

Junction Scheme in Cloghan Village on the

N62.

Local Improvement Schemes 2017

Our second funding application was

successful and we have received an

additional grant allocation of €416,655 from

the Department of Rural and Community

Development which coupled with private

Contributions to the amount of €46,295 will

bring the Total Cost of works to be

undertaken in Offaly under this phase II of

this scheme to €462,950 This will facilitate

Local Improvement Scheme works to 7

additional schemes throughout the County

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MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 3 of 10

Detailed breakdown of the schemes as follows:

In total for 2017 for Local Improvement

Schemes Offaly County Council received

€771,707 for works undertaken to 23

schemes throughout the County.

Low Cost Safety Scheme 2017

This allocation of €225,000 relates to the

provision of Safety Measures on the Church

Road, Tullamore. Pedestrian Crossing

Facilities at all these locations will be greatly

improved on completion of these schemes.

Henry Street Roundabout Tullamore -

Works nearing completion. Cloncollig

Signalized Junction Safety Scheme,

Tullamore - Works well underway.

Pedestrian Crossing at Dunnes Stores,

Church Road, Tullamore – Works complete

Excellence in Local Government Awards

2017

Offaly County Council was commended at

the above awards in the “Enhancing the

Urban Environment” category for

Revitalizing Birr by improving the way its

public realm functions.

ENVIRONMENT / WATER SERVICES:

Rural Water Multi Annual Programme

2016 – 2018

The total 2017 RWP Allocation amounted to

€689,900. The final allocation of €614,388

was received on the 20th September 2017.

The Department intend making earlier

allocations in 2018.

Name of GWS Total

Allocation €

Total Drawdown to

Date €

Blackwater-Clondelara GWS

4,000 4,000

Boher GWS 75,512 75,512

Cadamstown GWS 15,000 15,000

Clareen GWS 340,900 175,270

Clonfinlough GWS 25,000 29,243

Killeigh/Meelaghans GWS

200,000 27,200

Mount Lucas GWS 21,600 21,600

Tubber GWS 7,425 7,425

689,437 355,250

Location/Townland Municipal District

Length of Road (mts)

Total Cost (€)

Grand Canal Greenway Tullamore 3400 €350,000

Pigeonstown Kinnitty Birr 400 €25,000

Derrykeel, Kinnitty Birr 100 €11,600

Coniker, Roscrea Birr 350 €14,000

Derrymacredmond, Shinrone Birr 500 €35,000

Barrysbrook Lane, Croghan Edenderry 400 €16,000

Ballyfarrell, Blueball Tullamore 500 €11,350

TOTAL €462,950

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 4 of 10

GWS Subsidies

The level of maximum subsidy payable to

GWS was reduced from January 2015 to

reflect the new domestic water charging

regime introduced for customers of Irish

Water. Restoration of the pre-2015 rate of

subsidy has gradually been made and final

backdated payments will be made to schemes

in 2018.

The Department of Housing, Planning &

Local Government, in consultation with the

NFGWS, has commenced a review of the

existing subsidy levels for group water

schemes. The review is expected to be

concluded shortly. The Department intends

conducting a wider review of investment

needs in relation to rural water services in

2018.

Subsidy Payment

€

2013 574,107

2014 553,071

2015 522,001

2016 410,593

2017 581,012

CFRAM and Flood Defence Schemes

Offaly County Council and the OPW

completed works in November 2017 to the

Flood Defence Scheme to protect Portavolla

Housing Estate in Banagher. This was

mostly funded under the OPWs Minor Flood

Mitigation Works Scheme. The Environment

Team are compiling data from the Area

Offices to progress further schemes in the

county in 2018.

Anti-Dumping Initiative

All Works were completed in 2017 and the

Department have announced further funding

under this initiative in 2018. Two successful

prosecutions were obtained in the District

Court in November for illegal dumping and

additional prosecutions are with the

Council’s solicitors awaiting summons and

court date. A total of 41 Litter Fines have

been issued to date in 2017, and 37 Notices

have been served in 2017 under Section 18

of the Waste Management Act for dumping

of waste. CCTV has been installed at a

number of bottle banks in the county.

Green Schools

The Green Schools seminar was held on

November 21st 2017 which was very well

attended by teachers, pupils and Tidy Towns

members. School visits and assessments for

green flags are on-going.

HOUSING:

Stage 4 Submission made to Department for

approval to start on site - 33 no. Local

Authority houses at Blundell Wood

Edenderry, marking the end of the review of

tenders in advance of the award of contract

to the preferred bidder. Standstill period

ended and all contractors advised of

outcome. Bond and Insurance checks

progressing prior to contract award when

Stage 4 approved.

Approval in principle for the Turnkey

construction of 6 no. new social homes @

Cluian na Spideoga, Cloghan, Co. Offaly

under Rebuilding Ireland

Approval in principle for the Turnkey

delivery of 5 no. constructed social homes at

Mill Race, Ferbane, Co. Offaly under

Rebuilding Ireland.

LOCAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND

TOURISM SECTION:

The Local Community Development

Committee

(LCDC) met on 14th December. Agenda

items included the SICAP 2018-2022 Tender

Award; the Rural Development LEADER

programme; the Community Facilities Grant

Scheme; the RAPID funding; and update on

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 5 of 10

the Children and Young People’s Services

Committee (CYPSC); Membership, Funding

Opportunities and Correspondence.

Social Inclusion and Community Activation

Programme (SICAP) 2018- 2022 Following completion of the tender

evaluation process, Offaly Local Community

Development Committee ratified the SICAP

2018-2022 Tender Procurement: Final

Report and Offaly Integrated Local

Development Company were selected as the

successful tenderer. The contract was signed

at the LCDC meeting of 14th December. The

investment in Offaly is €760,463 for 2018,

and the contract will run for five years.

PPN Offaly PPN membership has reached 350.

Following on from the MD meetings the

Plenary was held on Nov 28th. Over 200

people attended with 135 groups represented.

The theme was Celebrating Volunteerism

which was very well received; as was the

opportunity for networking. 16 service

providers attended with information stands.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Liam Quinn provided the

opening address.

Age Friendly Strategy The Offaly Age Friendly Consultation is

underway. One to one meetings with

Alliance members due to take place on the

9th & 10th of January. Next Alliance

meeting is on 25th January.

Community Facilities Grant Scheme Of the 127 Communities Facilities Scheme

applications that are due to be paid, 93

groups have received their payments with a

total of €47,490 expended. It is expected that

the remaining 34 groups will receive

payment on or before Friday 15th December

2017.

Healthy Ireland The Offaly LCDC has been awarded €99,000

under this programme for five projects – a

Healthy Offaly Strategic Plan (€20,000);

Edenderry Healthy Food & Gardening

(€10,000); Sexual Health, Promotion,

Education & Intervention (€5,000); Children

Fundamentals Development (€15,000);

Couch to 5k recreational jogging (€9,000)

and Building Healthy Communities

(€40,000) - all to be implemented and fully

expended by 31st March 2018.

Comhairle na nÓg Seven Offaly delegates attended the national

Dail na nÓg event in Croke Park in Dublin

on 6th December. The theme for the day was

Equality: ‘in all fairness…’

Offaly Community Watch A Community Watch meeting took place on

November 22nd in Kilcormac Community

Centre with all neighbourhood watch and

community alert groups attending.

Offaly Tidy Towns Network The network met on 28th November and

received an update on the request for

community idea submissions to Offaly Co by

19th January for the 2018 Town and Village

Renewal Scheme.

Pride of Place The national Awards event for Pride of Place

was held in the Mount Errigal Hotel,

Letterkenny on 2nd December. Offaly had

three nominees as follows

The Acorn Youth Project (Edenderry) as

a ‘Community Youth Initiative’;

Tullamore Housing Association,

Midland Simon Community & Rights for

the Elderly Housing Association in the

‘Housing Estates’ category; and

Birr in the ‘Creative Place Initiative’

category.

Congratulations to Birr who were awarded

national runner up in the Creative Place

Initiative category.

RAPID 2017

RAPID was launched on 2nd November by

the Department for Rural and Community

Development with a National allocation of

€2m in Capital funding for disadvantaged

urban areas. €64,500 was allocated to each of

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 6 of 10

the 31 Local Authorities with the LCDC to

administer the Programme under the remit of

the Local Authority. The Offaly LCDC

RAPID Evaluation group met on the 4th

December and subsequent Municipal District

meetings recommended the following;

9 groups were approved under Call 1 for

Tidy Towns groups with a total allocation of

€24,000 to Tullamore, Edenderry, Birr,

Ferbane, Banagher, Daingean, Crinkill,

Moneygall and Rhode.

10 groups were approved under Call 2 for

community Playgrounds with a total

allocation of €40,500 to Clara, Edenderry,

Ferbane, Banagher, Daingean, Moneygall,

Rhode, Shannonbridge, Shinrone and

Kilcormac.

OFFALY SPORTS PARTNERSHIP (OSP)

Funding : Department of Children & Youth

Affairs - drawdown of €2,350 complete;

Department of Community & Rural

Development (trails maintenance) -

drawdown request for final €15,057.50

submitted; Department of Transport,

Tourism & Sport (sports capital) - €3,100

secured; Go for Life grant scheme -

announcement due in December; Health

Services Executive (section 39) - funding

application in the region of €10k for 2018

submitted; Sport Ireland - funding

application in the region of €200k for 2018

submitted; Sport Ireland Dormant Accounts:

€59,333 secured to deliver three strands –

south Offaly sports hub, community

coaching and youth leadership training.

Further, under the national programme,

Sports Capital Funding of €984,406 was

allocated to Offaly across 44 clubs, recently

announced.

Education and Training Child protection - Two Safeguarding 1 (basic

awareness), one Safeguarding 2 (club

children’s officer) and one Safeguarding 3

(designated liaison person) courses took

place in November. Level 1 in sports

leadership - two courses currently being

delivered in Gallen, one course booked for

Tullamore College in the first quarter of

2018, two courses booked for Oaklands

Community College in the first quarter of

2018.

Programmes

Programmes led out by staff in November

focused on women; the Hub in Crinkle

continues to deliver sport and physical

activity programmes for children and young

people in Birr and its environs and

programmes led out by the FAI soccer in the

community officer in November included

primary and post primary futsal and late

night league for disadvantaged young people

in Tullamore.

LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE:

December is a busy month in the Local

Enterprise Office. Among other tasks, the

team is:

Finalizing December grant payments

to clients

Carrying out the Annual Offaly

Employment Survey

Tendering for 2018 Programmes

Promoting a Shop Local for

Christmas Campaign

Hosting the County Final for Irish

Best Young Entrepreneur

Competition

Some junior coders who participated in the

Hour of Code

Initiative, hosted by

The Junction

Business

Innovation Centre

in December 2017.

January Dates:

Owner Management Development

Programme 2018

Only 2 places remaining – The Owner

Management Development Programme is

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 7 of 10

the Local Enterprise Office most

comprehensive offering to small businesses

in Laois and Offaly, the objective being to

get companies stabilised, ready for growth

and increased competitiveness. Full details

on www.localenterprise.ie/offaly

Regional Finals for Irish Best Young

Entrepreneur Competition 2018

Please note that the Regional Finals will take

place Friday 26th January 2018 in Áras Chill

Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co. Kildare.

Minister Breen has accepted an invitation to

attend. Time to be confirmed.

LIBRARY SERVICES:

Healthy Ireland at your library

Offaly Libraries have

received funding through

the Healthy Ireland at

Your Library programme

to provide a range of

resources, services and

support to users and

communities in all of our

8 libraries. The Healthy

Ireland at Your Library

service commenced on the 20th November

2017 with a promotional campaign to

continue to 31 March 2018. All libraries will

host 2 events. Events taking place in

December include: “Taking Control of your Health”: Diarmuid

Herlihy

Tullamore Library: 12th December

@6.30pm

Crime Authors Visit Offaly Libraries

Crime Authors Louise Phillips, Patricia

Gibney, Jo Spain, and

Sam Blake are visiting

libraries in November

and December 2017.

Polar Express

The Popular Polar Express Children’s

Christmas programme is taking place in 4

libraries this year Tullamore, Birr, Clara and

Edenderry Libraries.

Programme of Events

A full programme of events for Christmas

continues in all libraries: For further details,

check the following

Website: www.offaly.ie/libraries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offalylibraries

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OffalyLibraries

HERITAGE

Annual Offaly Heritage Seminar Arranged and hosted the Annual Offaly

Heritage Seminar which was held in Birr on

Nov 17th and 18th with over 100 people

engaging in tours and lectures based in Birr

Theatre and Arts Centre. The launch of

Flights of Fancy; follies, families and

demesnes by Senior Executive Architect

Rachel McKenna was held on the Friday

evening. Field trips to Carrigeen Farmhouse

and Birr Demesne were held on the Saturday

morning. Talks featured the county wide

swift survey by Birdwatch Ireland, Creative

Ireland Mary Ward’s Amazing World of

Wonder and Dr. Claudia Kinmonth

discussing the unique Carrigeen Farmhouse.

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 8 of 10

Creative Ireland

Creative Ireland Co-ordinator of the Offaly

Culture team for 2017. A consultation day

was held on Tuesday 12th September in

Gloster House. The Draft Offaly Culture and

Creativity Plan 2018-22 is presented for the

December County Council meeting.

Three Creative Offaly community

arts/heritage projects have been delivered in

2017; Mary Ward’s Amazing World of

Wonder developed by Caroline Conway and

Tina Claffey which has had a number of

iterations and is now being developed for

Herstory on 6th January 2018; a sculpture

and conference with artist Rachel Champion

organized by Pullough Tidy Towns focused

on carbon and peat; and Offaly History and

Tullamore Camera Club with Rahan Looks

Forward documentary project. Composer

Karen Power presented her commissioned

piece Sonic Pollinators on Tuesday 5th

December.

Durrow Monastic Site Work is still progressing to deliver the

walking route to Durrow High Cross. The

Ministerial Consent for works was approved

on 4 December.

Medieval Churches

Vegetation management has taken place at

Kilbride (Clara), Kilbride (by Canal),

Kilmanaghan near Tubber, Lemanaghan,

Drumcullen and Lynally Liaised with the

vestry at Rahan to discuss maintenance of the

medieval church. The working group of

volunteers at Lemanaghan have made

substantial progress in the second half of the

year.

Promotion of the All Ireland Pollinator

Plan In addition to Tullamore Lloyd Park winning

the Green Flag Pollinator Award, Geashill

Tidy Towns won the National All Ireland

Pollinator Award at the National Tidy Towns

Awards in Dublin in September. This is the

second year of the award which Birr won in

2016. Composer Karen Power is promoting

pollination through her Creative Offaly

recording and performance.

Tidy Towns’ Network The Tidy Towns’ Network meeting in

November focused on the upcoming Town

and Village Renewal Scheme. Two meetings

are planned to support groups in early 2018.

Mentoring for all groups is provided on an

ongoing basis.

Community Projects Work is ongoing with Pullough History

Group exploring the brick industry; an

evening was spent with Clara Heritage

Group and Cloneygowan looking at options

for projects; met with Georgian Society

looking to maximize the FAN trail in Birr;

ongoing liaison with Offaly History.

Offaly Heritage Forum The fourth meeting of 2017 is planned for

Ballycumber House courtesy of Connie

Hanniffy on 14 December. The forum in

invaluable for delivering the Offaly Heritage

Plan 2017-21.

ARTS SERVICES:

Hullabaloo Children’s Festival

Hullabaloo Children’s Arts Festival was held

from 1st to 4th November 2017 in Birr, Clara

and Edenderry and selected Offaly Libraries.

The event proved highly successful and was

well attended at all venues.

Exhibitions at Arás an Chontae

The Arts Office hosted A Bower for Sisters

photographic

exhibition by

Tullamore Native

Aisling O’Rourke

in Áras an Chontae

in November.

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 Page 9 of 10

Offaly County Council Arts Act Grants

2018

Voluntary Community Groups, individual

artists, town bands,

drama and musical

groups within

Offaly are invited to

apply for funding

under the Arts Act

Grants Closing date for applications is 26th

January 2018 at 3pm. All groups will need

to be register with the PPN https://offalyppn.ie/

CORPORATE SERVICES:

Briefing to the Oireachtas Members

A briefing to Oireachtas members was

presented on Monday 27th November

attended by the Mr. Barry Cowen, TD, Ms

Carol Nolan, TD and Ms Marcella Corcoran-

Kennedy, TD.

Joint Policing Committee

Offaly County Council’s Joint Policing

Committee was held on Monday 27th

November 2017 in Aras an Chontae.

Anna Marie Delaney

Chief Executive

NOVEMBER 2017

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT

18TH DECEMBER 2017 APPENDIX I

Offaly County Council

Draft Consolidated Revenue Account Income & Expenditure Summary by Service Division

To 30th November 2017

Expenditure € Income €

Housing & Building 8,065,280 8,013,397

Road Transport & Safety 8,604,122 4,485,657

Water Services 3,229,204 2,746,888

Development Management 4,053,826 1,838,721

Environmental Services 5,186,258 956,274

Recreation & Amenity 2,747,160 355,173

Agriculture, Education, Health & Welfare 418,502 179,259

Miscellaneous Services 5,483,551 1,412,338

Local Government Fund / GPG 0 5,742,216

Gross Rates Income 0 12,474,788

37,787,903 38,204,711

Deficit reduction to 30th September 2017 416,808

Budget deficit reduction to 30th September 2017 412,500

OCC to 30th November 2017 Rates Rents Loans

€m €m €m

Opening Balance Jan 1, 2017 2.03 0.93 0.35

Invoices/Adjustments 14.62 5.26 0.41

2017 Cash Collected to end of November 12.07 5.15 0.44

Closing Balance November 30, 2017 4.58 1.04 0.33

2016 Cash collected to November 11.53 5.12 0.47

% Collection at this point in 2016 105% 101% 92%

Bank Overdraft to 30th November 2017

Number of days Overdrawn in Bank year to date 0 0% Overdraft Interest and non conforming charges to November 30th 2017 YTD €0

Bank Administration and transactional charges to November 30th 2017 YTD €49,588