Please see below the motions and questions raised at the 06th June meeting of the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District.
Motion – Councillor William Durkan That the council improves the junction of the L-10091 with L-1009 adjacent to Donadea Forest Park, to include road markings and improved sight lines.
Report: The Municipal District Engineer has requested that the road markings at this location be renewed by the appointed line marking contractor. The existing adjoining property boundaries do not allow for the sightline to be improved without land take
Motion – Councillor William Durkan That the council installs a columbarium wall in Mainham Cemetery, Clane in order to suitably cater for future local need.
Report: With the members’ agreement, and subject to available capital funding, the council will include provision of a Columbarium Wall in Mainham Cemetery in its works programme for 2025/2026.
Question Councillor William Durkan Can the council investigate the communications board in Prosperous Playground with a view to fixing the broken QR code link?
Report: The QR code issue will be investigated and fixed.
Question –Councillor William Durkan Can the Council provide an overview of the volume of social housing stock provided by Kildare County Council in the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District in the 2020 -2025 period, and outline projections for future supply?
Report: There have been 659 units provided in the Clane Maynooth MD since 01/01/2020. 290 units were provided through Part V, Turnkey, Direct Sales and Capital Projects. 369 units were provided through Leasing and Approved Housing Body Programmes. The current projections are 106 further units to deliver by year end 2026.
Please find below the list of motions and questions raised for discussion at the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District on April 4th 2025.
Motion – Councillor William Durkan That the council installs additional accessible parking bays at Timahoe National School (x2) and Prosperous National School (x1).
Report: The Municipal District Engineer will assess this request at each school and subject to funding being available, the request can be progress through the required process.
Note: Further discussion on this topic during the meeting was very positive for both cases. In particular, Timahoe National School was already inspected and no issues to delivery identified. While some further planning was needed in the case of Prosperous, no significant issues were expected.
Motion – Councillor William Durkan That the council inspects Clonuff Lane, Broadford (L10021), to review the road condition and consider inclusion on the 2025 Works Programme.
Report: This road will be assessed and if works are required, they will be included in the Road Works Programme 2025, subject to funding being available.
Question – Councillor William Durkan Can the council provide an update on when a timeline for individual school zone marking works within the municipal district will be available?
Report: The members allocated LPT funding to these works at a special meeting in March. The Municipal District Office is currently preparing to engage with the Road Markings Contractor to carry out the required markings at each school. It is anticipated that these markings will be carried out during May and June, but the works are weather dependant.
Question – Councillor William Durkan Can the council provide an update on the identification and prioritisation of planned bus stop improvement works within the municipal district?
Report: There are over 500 existing bus stop locations in County Kildare. Kildare County Council is working with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to review and prioritise improvements to bus stop infrastructure. When this review is complete, a list of potential bus shelters and other improvements for locations will be prepared and appropriate public consultation undertaken. The provision of stop poles and associated timetable information at existing bus stops on local link routes are being prioritised to link rural communities to more urban areas.
The following motion was raised at the March Full Council meeting on 31.03.25.
Motion: Councillor William Durkan
That the council extends the eligible works under the Housing Aid for Older People Grant to include the provision of external security lighting.
Report: The Housing Aid for Older People Grant Scheme is available to assist older
people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements
carried out to their homes, it provides financial assistance to households to carry out essential repairs.
On receipt of this motion, the Housing Department contacted the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to enquire if security lighting can be funded, they advised that security lighting is not eligible for funding.
Issued by: A/Director of Services, Housing and Regeneration
Notes: Further discussions highlighted the potential to pursue alternative funding streams at the MD level for localised targeted schemes.
The below Motions were raised at the October 2024 meeting of the Full Council:
Councillor William Durkan
That the council outlines the proportion of existing housing stock that is suitable for tenants with mobility/accessibility issues, how this relates to the proportion of those on Kildare County Council’s housing list that have documented mobility/accessibility concerns, and comment on suitable provision plans moving forward.
Report: In terms of the proportion of existing Kildare County Council housing stock that is adapted for mobility issues, only figures from 2014 are available. Adaptations to Kildare County Council owned properties are carried out through the Disabled Persons Grant Scheme (DPG). Works eligible under the DPG scheme include bathroom adaptations, stairlifts, ramps and the provision of extensions for ground floor living. Below is the number of DPGs completed per year:
Year
DPG’s completed
2014
14
2015
14
2016
31
2017
46
2018
43
2019
56
2020
21
2021
28
2022
48
2023
68
2024 to date
42
Total
411
The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 sets out the framework for the delivery of housing for people with a disability through mainstream housing policy. This reflects Government policy that all public services should meet the needs of people with disabilities as an integral part of their function, i.e. mainstreaming of services to people with disabilities. An action of this Strategy required the establishment of Housing Disability Steering Groups and membership in Kildare has senior housing staff, senior staff from the HSE, representatives from local disability advocacy groups and people with lived experience. The Kildare Housing and Disability Strategy 2022-2027 has been prepared and agreed by the Housing Disability Steering Group in accordance with national policy and the vision is to facilitate access for disabled persons to the appropriate range of housing and related support services, delivered in an integrated and sustainable manner, which promotes equality of opportunity, individual choice and independent living.
Kildare County Council’s County Development Plan 2023-2029 is committed to implementing the frameworks for the delivery of housing for disabled people as set out under the ‘National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027’ and identifies actions to ensure all KCC new build housing stock is in compliance with Part M of the Building Regulations, that 10% of acquired housing stock meets the needs of those with a disability and 12% of Kildare County Council new builds are universally designed and to monitor the number of housing acquisitions and new builds and ensure that they meet the needs of those with a disability.
In County Kildare there are currently 3,450* (excluding those in receipt of HAP/RAS) people assessed as needing social housing support. Of the total number, currently 342 applicants have been assessed based of disability needs. Analysis of these applications would further inform the requirements in terms of unit size, location, design and any other specific needs. The table below details the categories of identified need based on information provided at the time of receipt of the housing application. Applications from individuals residing in congregated settings have been discounted from the 342 as they are accounted for separately under Congregated Settings.
Category
Total
Physical
88
Sensory
20
Mental Health
79
Intellectual
155
Total
342
Table 1: Category of Identified Need
Of the 342 identified above, 85 of these are council tenant transfer requests. In the event of a person’s accommodation becoming unsuitable due to disability, priority is given for transfer to a suitable property if available.
