Councillor William Durkan

I: Clane-Maynooth MD: May 2026

Tag: environment

  • Clane-Maynooth MD: May 2026

    The below items were raised for discussion at the 01/05/26 meeting of the Municipal District.

    Question – Councillor William Durkan
    Can the council provide a costing for the provision of streetlights at Clonkeen Cross on the R402 to include the junction, footpath and bus stop areas?
    Report: The request for the provision of public lighting at Clonkeen Cross on the R402, including the junction, footpath and bus stop areas, has been assessed in accordance with the council’s Public Lighting Policy. Clonkeen Cross is classified as a Category B location, being a rural area of low district brightness that is currently unlit. Under this category, public lighting is not provided as a standalone measure and is only considered where it forms part of a broader engineering scheme to address identified road safety issues.

    Update: Discussion noted the need for a specific costing to consider these works under a different funding programme, and will be provided for consideration.

    Motion – Councillor William Durkan
    That the council invites Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) to provide an annual briefing to members within the municipal district on progress to date regarding the ongoing River Basin Management Plan works in this municipal district.
    Report: This is a matter for members to agree.

    Update: This was agreed by members in the MD

    Motion – Councillor William Durkan
    That the council identifies any publicly owned or underutilised premises within the municipal district that may be repurposed to provide safe, accessible youth-friendly spaces, in line with the recommendations of the recent Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) report ‘Nowhere to go…. Plenty to say’.
    Report: The Community Department received the referenced report on April 20th and is reviewing the report.

    The KWETB report is available here:
    kwetb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/KWETB-Report_WEB.pdf


    The KWETB report contains a recommendation: “Liaise with local authorities and statutory and voluntary agencies to identify publicly owned or underutilised premises that could be repurposed to provide safe, accessible youth-friendly spaces.”
    The needs of young people are varied and multi-faceted and require a collaborative inter-agency/multi-agency response that includes stakeholders such as parents, community members, service providers (statutory and community and voluntary), local representatives and others – local and national.

    Reflecting this, Kildare Children and Young Peoples Services Committee (CYPSC) is the local structure that brings the key stakeholders together to agree shared priorities and actions to improve outcomes for children and young people in Co. Kildare.
    The Council contributes to the development and implementation of the CYPSC 3-Year Plan, along with other member organisations, which include KWETB, Tusla and In Sync Youth and Family Services, HSE, An Garda Síochána, among others.
    Kildare CYPSC is in the process of developing the next 3-Year Plan (2027-2029), which will involve cross-sectoral consultation. There will be an opportunity for Kildare County Council staff and elected representatives to highlight concerns, gaps, needs as part of this process.

    The motion calls for a survey, by the Council, of “any publicly owned or underutilised premises within the District”. It should be noted that mapping of existing services and related gaps forms part of each 3-Year Plan, and recommendations from local research, such as the recent KWETB report will inform the Plan. Kildare County Council welcomes the opportunity to explore through the CYPSC structure, along with inter-agency partners, how to progress the recommendations from the KWETB report. It is also noted, as flagged in the recently adopted Sports Plan, that schools were identified as under-utilised community facilities and it is suggested that in the consideration of suitable facilities for youth services across Kildare, as part of the CYPSC Plan that this should form part of consideration regarding suitable spaces. This clearly offers efficiencies and economies of scale in terms of public expenditure.
    The Council, via the Community Department currently own 7 properties in this District that are managed by a range of caretaker groups but can be booked by other groups and agencies for programme delivery, including for youth related services, subject to availability. Indeed, some of the groups referenced in KWETB report are already using some of these facilities.

    These properties are listed here: kildarecoco.ie/AllServices/Community/communitycentres/

    Question – Councillor William Durkan
    Can the council provide an overview of all renewable energy infrastructure with an active (including under appeal) or granted planning application within the municipal district, to include solar and wind turbine infrastructure?

  • Clane Maynooth MD: February 2026

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  • Full Council: November 2025

    The following was raised for discussion at the November meeting of Kildare County Council, held on 24/11/2025.

    An Comhairleoir – Councillor William Durkan
    That the council outlines how many streetlamps are under Kildare County Council management, how many have been replaced with modern LED lamps to date, and what plan does the council have to replace the remaining lamps.


    Report:     Kildare County Council currently manages 24,129 public lights. To date, 20,019 of these have been installed or retrofitted with energy-efficient LED lanterns, leaving 4,110 lights with older high-energy lanterns.
    The Council is currently undertaking a Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project (PLEEP), which involves the survey, design and retrofitting all old high energy lanterns with energy efficient LED lanterns, under its control.
    The Council will continue to retrofit old high energy lanterns with energy efficient LED lanterns under the PLEEP and through our public lighting maintenance contract.

  • Full Council: July 2025

    The below motion was raised at the July meeting of the Full Council on 28/07/2025.

    Motion: Councillors Peggy O’Dwyer, William Durkan and Brendan Wyse


    That the council writes to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment for a policy on the disposal of large nitrous oxide canisters.


    Report: The matter has been discussed at the Environment Strategic Policy Committee, and it might be helpful to provide some background to the issue.


    The safe disposal of potentially dangerous nitrous oxide canisters has in recent years become a major issue for the recycling and waste management industry.

    The gas is sold legally for medical, industrial and commercial purposes, and is easily obtained online. Revenue has the power to seize canisters of the gas where officers believe they are intended for illicit purposes.


    Kildare County Council has no facilities to store and dispose of these canisters, nor are they accepted by locally based waste collection operators for health and safety reasons.


    Due to the physical nature of the canister, it is difficult to ascertain if the product is empty or full. Whilst an empty canister is widely recyclable, if gas remains in the container, it may explode if crushed – it cannot be processed through standard recycling facilities.


    This issue of disposal is not unique to Kildare and is rather a national issue that requires addressing at a nationwide level.

    I would therefore be pleased to support the request to formally write to the Department as outlined in the notice of motion.

    Notes: Members agreed to write to the department, with an update on the reply to issue at a later date.

  • Clane-Maynooth MD: March 2025

    Please find below the list of motions and questions raised for discussion at the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District on March 7th 2025.

    Motion – Councillor William Durkan
    That the council contacts Waterways Ireland to improve Greenway access, to allow parking provision and enhanced sight lines, at Kilmore Bridge on the L1003.

    Report: With the members agreement, Kildare County Council will make contact with Waterways Ireland

    Note: Agreed by members

    Motion – Councillor William Durkan
    That the council conducts a stencilling campaign to raise awareness of dog fouling issues at Nancy’s Lane in Clane, in conjunction with additional signage.

    Report: The council will facilitate provision of stencilling at the location in Clane as requested in the Notice of Motion. Signage has also been provided to the councillor and local residents.

    Question – Councillor William Durkan
    Can the council outline an expected timeline for the installation of chevron signs on the R401 near Carrick Hill?

    Report: These chevrons will be installed in the next 4 weeks.

    Question – Councillor William Durkan
    Can the council provide an update of any actions taken to advance a solution to wastewater issues in Mooretown Drive, Rathcoffey?
    Report:     Uisce Eireann have been contacted via the dedicated email address in relation to this issue. As soon as correspondence is received members will be notified.