COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF TERENURE-RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

MOTION NO. 2

MOTION: Councillor C. Keane

"That this Committee discusses with the aid of an up to date report on the Ballyroan Community Centre/Parish Centre with a view to getting this centre open for use again as soon as possible – noting the meals on wheels particularly are totally discommoded at the moment - along with the many other services who have had to cease using the centre which is closed pending upgrade."

REPORT:

The refurbishment of Ballyroan Community Centre and the construction of the Pastoral Centre was approved under Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001.

Tenders were invited, with a final date for receipt of tenders being 5th February 2009. In advance of the commencement of construction work on the site, the meals on wheels service which operated from the Community Centre was moved off-site and clubs and groups which use the centre were also moved out to allow for the project work to proceed.

The Council is currently in the process of reviewing all Capital Projects including Ballyroan Community & Pastoral Centre Project in the context of the Council’s overall Capital Programme.

The capital programme is prepared on a multi annual rolling basis.  The programme is broken into three categories:-

Given the current economic conditions this Council is focused on ensuring that where the Council is in contract in 2009 that we are in a position to meet those contract payments.  The value of works/projects under contract in 2009 is in excess of €311 million.  A number of these contracts have rolled on from 2008and may continue through 2009 and 2010. 

The capital programme is funded through a number of mechanisms:-

Excluding aid from the exchequer this Council must raise in excess of €50 million to fund the above contracts from our own resources, namely development levies and proceeds from land disposals in order to meet our contractual obligations.  Therefore the Council is only in a position to deliver on elements of the capital programme that are currently in contract.

The multi annual capital programme consists of a wide range of projects and programmes which have been identified as beneficial to the County and these will remain in the programme pending the identification of funding sources for their delivery.  Obviously under the current financial climate it will be necessary to prioritise the projects as resources are identified and become available.

In the meanwhile, the inconvenience to the community in Ballyroan is very much regretted. The Council is examining ways that may help to alleviate these inconveniences in any way possible.