COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 11, 2013
HEADED ITEM NO. 3c)
Report of the Organisation, Procedure & Finance Committee Meeting held on 24th January 2013
Report on Review of Tallaght Area Committee (1) & (2) Meetings
The business as conducted at Tallaght Area Committee (1) and Tallaght Area Committee (2) meetings has been the subject of continuous monitoring and ongoing review and updates since June 2012.
In that regard the following report was circulated to the members at the January 2013 OP&F:
“The following item was DEFERRED from the November 2012 OP& F meeting:
Background:
The review of Area Committee Meetings commenced in 2009 and items pertaining to this issue have been considered at numerous meeting including OP&F, County Council and Tallaght ACMs, as well as informal discussion with Area Chairs, Meetings Administrators and Members over a prolonged period of time.
It was agreed a the Organisation, Procedure and Finance meeting of the 24th May 2012 and confirmed at the Council Meeting of 11th June 2012, that the “two June 2012 Tallaght ACMs would take place on the same day on 18th June 2012 commencing at 3.00 pm, and that on a pilot basis until the end of the year, the Tallaght (1) and Tallaght (2) ACM would amalgamate and consider a full suite of business at one meeting. The meeting would take place on the 4th Monday of each month and commence at 3.00 pm”. We have now reached the end of the pilot stage and it is timely that the committee consider further the current arrangement or make a recommendation to the full Council whether to:-
- Continue the arrangement for a further pilot period
- Recommend that the single meeting continue with the possible amendment of Standing Orders
- Revert to the original two meeting system
The Tallaght Electoral Area is represented by 11 members. A single joint meeting has taken place since June 2012. A full schedule of business is considered at this meeting in line with all other area committee meetings.
Catalogue of business conducted:
A catalogue of meeting items has been recorded for each area meeting for the pilot period and the cumulative findings for the 4 months in question are as follows:
| Department | Headed Items | Questions | Motions | Motions Reached | Motions Not Reached |
| Architects | 1 | 1 | |||
| Community | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Corp Services/Libraries | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Environment & Parks | 5 | 33 | 28 | 28 | 0 |
| Housing | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Planning & Dev | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |
| Roads & water services | 2 | 21 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 21 | 64 | 57 | 57 | 0 |
Review:
Corporate Services officials have consulted with the Area Chair and Meeting Administration personnel. The Area Chair in turn consulted with their area members and the following is a summary of sentiments expressed and reported:
- The meetings are dealt with more efficiently i.e. No delays in dealing with business
- Easier to move items between meetings, without any delays from one meeting to the next
- Less staff time taken up dealing with two meetings
- More cost efficient in terms of time and financial costs
- Order of business rotated in line with current practice but also with traditional Tallaght 1 & 2 being rotated.
- Majority of Members stated that they were happy to continue with the current arrangement of holding the two meetings on one day in accordance with provisions outlined in Section 50 the Local Government Act 2001.
- Expression of significant reservations regarding the continuation of the pilot.
- Proposed continuing the pilot until Easter and seeking a review at that stage.
In light of the foregoing it is now before the members to make recommendation on whether to:
- Continue the arrangement for a further pilot period
- Recommend that the single meeting continue with the possible amendment of Standing Orders
- Revert to the original two meeting system.” End of Report to OP&F
It was proposed by Councillor C. King, seconded by Councillor D. Looney and AGREED:
“That this Council continue the arrangement for a further pilot period up to and including January 2014.”
This proposal is now before the members.