Motions
This County Council agrees a vote of thanks to the staff of South Dublin County Council for their hard work and dedication, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That this Council calls on the Taoiseach to immediately implement a set of measures to tackle the Cost of Living Crisis that is Devastating Families across the State from both Working and Middle Class Demographics, which has seen 70% increases in Heating Oil, 30% increase in Gas, 25% increase in Electricity, 8% Increase in Rents and €1,200 average increase in petrol prices for the average driver along with increases in Groceries and other Essential Goods. This has resulted in the Highest inflation rates in 20 years of more than 5,5% and that's without the Governments scandalous proposed increases in Carbon Tax at a time of crisis. These measures at the least should include: The introduction of a living wage, the introduction of a cost of living payment based on annual income, the scrapping of Carbon Tax Increases, a ban on Rent increases for 3 years, Increase in Fuel allowance criteria, Removal of VAT on Energy Bills during winter Months, the Establishment of a discretionary utility debt Fund. These measures should form a base for tackling the crisis for struggling Families across the State.
That this Council confirms its pride in, and continued support for, Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality, and writes to the Taoiseach to declare these views
That this Council supports the decriminalisation of drug use, meaning that people will no longer be made criminals simply because of their use of a drug: that people's drug use should be dealt with as a public health issue rather than as a criminal issue and that the resources currently used to process the 72% of drug convictions that are for personal possession should be redirected to treatment and support services and to more effective policing of the drugs trade. We commit to sending this motion to the Minister for Justice and the Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy for their consideration and response.
An increase on Carbon Taxes of €7.50 was announced in Budget 2022, from €33.50 to €41.00 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted. The increase applies from 13 October 2021 for auto fuels and 1 May 2022 for all other fuels and is set to rise to €100 per tonne emitted by 2030. The carbon Tax is not tackling the environmental damage caused by the producers and profiteers of fossil fuel emissions, including the approximate 14 Data Centres, and major pharmaceutical companies listed in the South Dublin County Council area. It is another tax on workers and energy that hits the poorest and those on limited incomes hardest, and is exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis. It represents the opposite of a “just transition”.
This council calls for the scrapping of the carbon tax increases due from May 2022 and the reversal of 2021 increases. We call for immediate direct taxation of a national or local variety on big polluters, the implementation of increased price controls on energy for households, and a rapid shift to renewable energies under public ownership and communicates this motion to the Minister for Environment, Climate, Communication Transport, and The Minister for Local Government and Heritage.
This Council calls on central government to make the funding available ASAP to complete the necessary works on all boarded up/derelict houses owned by SDCC returning them to Council stock. Considering the emergency housing crisis the country finds itself in this matter needs to be considered a point of priority.
That this Council requests the Chief Executive to write to the Taoiseach, The Minister of State for Local Government and the Minister of State for Electoral Reform requesting that legislated candidate gender quotas of 40% be introduced to apply to the local elections in 2024.
This Council calls on the Chief Executive to review and change the Councils current Housing Policy which only allows Social housing/HAP applicants to access the higher homeless rate of HAP 6 weeks before the applicant's Notice to Quit is enacted. Taking into account the length of time it is taking for families/couples/individual's to find private accommodation, this change will allow for the applicants to access the higher homeless rate of HAP from the date of issue of the NTQ to the Council.
That this Council calls on the Chief Executive to ensure that any family that are referred /given temporary or emergency accommodation, through the SDCC Homeless Section, either in the County or the City, are placed in accommodation that is suitable to the needs of that family, that they have access to kitchen facilities, have access to bathrooms, have the basic access to the Internet to facilitate students in that family who are studying for their Junior or Leaving Cert or are attending 3rd level College and that the family are not required to leave the accommodation every day at 0.8am and "allowed" to return at 1700 hours and that he address this issue with the necessary authorities or agencies.
To call on the Chief Executive of the Council to help address fuel poverty within our local authority homes by partnering with EnergyCloud, a not-for profit organisation. EnergyCloud was established to use some of the surplus renewable energy, which would otherwise be wasted, to help tackle fuel poverty, which impacts thousands of Irish families every day and is also in line with the Government's Climate Action Plan.
That this council prohibits advertising from Gambling companies on and in all buildings owned by the local authority.
That this Council agrees to make it a priority to fix heating systems when they break down in Council owned housing.
That this Council agrees to write to An Bord Pléanala, to the Minister of Housing Darragh O'Brien Minister of State Peter Burke with special responsibility for Planning, Local Government and Heritage to request a change in legislation to allow for pause on planning application decisions related to ongoing and future private large development within the proposed City Edge Redevelopment areas. A recent report provided to members in relation to this project, the largest new town in the whole of Europe referenced the challenges being presented to project development during this incredibly period of time. The question must be asked whether the state and local government are responsible for planning of new sustainable communities or whether we will continue to outsource this to private developers, whose only interest is in relation to their own site and their bottom line.
That this Council calls on the Minister for Transport to expedite the process to ensure that Legislation is passed to deal with the control of Scramblers and expresses concern at the delay in dealing with the issue which is of great concern to many.
This Council agrees to run an education and awareness campaign to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe on mountain and pathway-free roads this summer.
Noting that Circular PL02-2018 predates provision for Large Scale Residential Developments, that this Council writes to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland requesting clarification as to whether it would be appropriate for presentations to be furnished by local authorities to Area Committee Meetings in relation to Large Scale Residential Developments (LRDs) planned for their areas, similar to those done in relation to Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs), given the significance of these developments for our areas