The Draft Annual Budget for Financial Year ending 31^st December 2026 which had been circulated was CONSIDERED.

 

The Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary, gave a brief introduction and outlined the proposed format for the meeting, whereby, Mr. Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance, would give an overall presentation on the Budget.

 

Each Division would then be examined individually, and Members would be afforded an opportunity to pose questions at the end of the presentations. 

 

The Mayor advised that the Members were required by law to consider and note each Division, and votes would be taken on the various motions.

 

The Mayor also advised the Members that he had received five Motions, three of which had been ruled out of order.  The other two Motions would be heard at the end of the divisional presentations.

 

 Mr. Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance, thanked his colleagues in Fingal County Council and his team in the Finance Department for their work in the compilation of this Budget.

 

Mr. Hunt then gave the following presentation to the meeting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Paul Carroll, Director of Services, Housing & Community Development, gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division A – Housing and Building, under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division A – Housing and Building.

 

 

 

 

 

DIVISION B – ROAD TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY

 

Ms. Mary T. Daly, Director of Services, Operations, and Mr. David Storey, Director of Services, Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel & Sports, gave a detailed report on the provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division B – Road Transportation and Safety under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division B – Road Transportation and Safety.

 

 

 

 

 

DIVISION C – WATER SERVICES

 

Ms. Mary T. Daly, Director of Services, Operations Department, gave a detailed report on the provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division C – Water Services, under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division C – Water Services.

 

 

DIVISION D – DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

 

Mr. Matthew McAleese, Director, Planning & Strategic Infrastructure, Mr. John Quinlivan, Director, Economic, Enterprise, Tourism and Cultural Development, Mr. Paul Carroll, Director of Services, Housing & Community Development, gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division D – Development Management, under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division D – Development Management.

 

 

DIVISION E – ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

 

Mr. David Storey, Director of Service, Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel & Sports, Mr. Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance and Ms. Mary T. Daly, Director, Operations Department, gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division E – Environmental Services under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division E – Environmental Services.

 

 

DIVISION F – RECREATION & AMENITY

 

Ms. Mary T. Daly, Director, Operations, Mr. John Quinlivan, Director, Economic, Enterprise, Tourism & Cultural Development, Mr. Paul Carroll, Director, Housing & Community Development, and Mr. David Storey, Director of Service, Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel & Sports, gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division F – Recreation & Amenity under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division F – Recreation and Amenity Services.

 

 

 

DIVISION G – AGRICULTURE, FOOD & THE MARINE

 

Ms. Mary T. Daly, Director, Operations and Mr. David Storey, Director of Service, Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel & Sports, gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division G – Agriculture, Food and Marine under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division G – Agriculture, Food and The Marine.

 

 

DIVISION H – MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES

 

Ms. Mary Egan, Director, People, Corporate & Digital Services, and Mr. Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance gave a detailed report on the main provisions contained in the Annual Budget for Division H – Miscellaneous Services under the following headings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Council then NOTED the provisions made in the Annual Budget for Division H – Miscellaneous Services.

 

Mr. Oliver Hunt, Head of Finance, responded to the Members queries.  Ms. AnnMarie Farrelly addressed the meeting, advising the Members that the budget present was a sustainable budget for Fingal.

 

At 4:45pm, the Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary advised the Members that the meeting was adjourned.  The meeting reconvened at 5.15pm.

 

The Mayor advised the Members that he would now deal with Motions.

 

The following Motion in the names of Councillors Ryan, Walsh, Humphreys, McCamley, M. Boland, McDonagh, Johnston, Donnelly, Hanaphy, Quinn, Smyth, Mulville, Hopkins, Mulligan, Burtchaell, Redwood, & Healy:

 

“This Council resolves to adjourn the current meeting to Friday 28^th November, when a revised Budget will be considered, which excludes the proposed increase in social housing rents for 2026.”

 

was proposed by Councillor John Walsh and seconded by Councillor Mary McCamley.

 

 

Following discussion, the Mayor Councillor Tom O’Leary, instructed that a roll call vote be taken and on a division the voting resulted as follows:

 

FOR:              18        Eighteen

AGAINST:     21       Twenty-One

ABSTAIN:        0        Zero

 

FOR:   Councillors Mark Boland, John Burtchaell, Angela Donnelly, Breda Hanaphy, David Healy, Joan Hopkins, James Humphreys, Corina Johnston, Mary McCamley, Brian McDonagh, Dean Mulligan, Paul Mulville, Patrick Quinlan, Malachy Quinn, Helen Redwood, Brendan Ryan, John Smyth, John Walsh.

 

AGAINST:     Councillors Cathal Boland, Darragh Butler, Eimear Carbone-Mangan, Luke Corkery, Kieran Dennison, Eoghan Dockrell, Jimmy Guerin, Cathal Haughey, Darren Jack Kelly, Tom Kitt, Ted Leddy, Grainne Maguire, Tony Murphy, Joe Newman, Eoghan O’Brien, Tom O’Leary, JK Onwumereh, Gerard Sheehan, Siobhan Shovlin, Aoibhinn Tormey, Ellen Troy.

 

 

The Mayor then DECLARED the Motion lost.

 

A second Motion in the names of Councillors Guerin, Sheehan, Tormey, Butler & Troy:

 

“That the draft 2026 budget as presented be amended as outlined

 

 

Reduce Division A - Table F income - Rents from Houses   Reduce expenditure as outlined below   Reduce Capital Transfers F0403 Community Facilities A0101 Maintenance of LA Housing Units F0201 Library Service Operations B0304 Regional Road Bridge Maintenance E0901 Maintenance of Burial Grounds F0504 Heritage/Interpretive Facilities Operations   Reduce Programme of Works   B0405 Local Roads General Maintenance Works F0301 Parks, Pitches & Open Spaces B0602 Traffic Maintenance B0502 Public Lighting Improvement               Total

2,700,000         530,000 530,000 520,000   50,000   50,000 520,000       160,000 145,000 150,000 45,000   2,700,000

 

 

and adopt the budget as amended.”

 

 

was proposed by Councillor Jimmy Guerin and seconded by Councillor Tony Murphy.

 

Following discussion, the Mayor Councillor Tom O’Leary, instructed that a roll call vote be taken and on a division the voting resulted as follows:

 

FOR:              21       Twenty-One

AGAINST:     18        Eighteen      

ABSTAIN:        0        Zero

 

FOR:   Councillors Cathal Boland, Darragh Butler, Eimear Carbone-Mangan, Luke Corkery, Kieran Dennison, Eoghan Dockrell, Jimmy Guerin, Cathal Haughey, Darren Jack Kelly, Tom Kitt, Ted Leddy, Grainne Maguire, Tony Murphy, Joe Newman, Eoghan O’Brien, Tom O’Leary, JK Onwumereh, Gerard Sheehan, Siobhan Shovlin, Aoibhinn Tormey, Ellen Troy.

 

AGAINST:     Councillors Mark Boland, John Burtchaell, Angela Donnelly, Breda Hanaphy, David Healy, Joan Hopkins, James Humphreys, Corina Johnston, Mary McCamley, Brian McDonagh, Dean Mulligan, Paul Mulville, Patrick Quinlan, Malachy Quinn, Helen Redwood, Brendan Ryan, John Smyth, John Walsh.

 

The Mayor then DECLARED the Motion carried.

 

 

BUDGET – MOTION 1

 

The following Motion was read into the record of the meeting by the Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary.  It was proposed by Councillor A. Tormey, seconded by Councillor K. Dennison and AGREED:

 

“That the County Council adopts for the Financial Year ending 31 December 2026, the Annual Budget set out in Tables A to F as amended.”

 

Following discussion, the Mayor Councillor Tom O’Leary, instructed that a roll call vote be taken and on a division the voting resulted as follows:

 

FOR:               21                    Twenty-One

AGAINST:     18                    Eighteen

ABSTAIN:        0                    Zero

 

FOR:               Councillors Cathal Boland, Darragh Butler, Eimear Carbone-Mangan, Luke Corkery, Kieran Dennison, Eoghan Dockrell, Jimmy Guerin, Cathal Haughey, Darren Jack Kelly, Tom Kitt, Ted Leddy, Grainne Maguire, Tony Murphy, Joe Newman, Eoghan O’Brien, Tom O’Leary, JK Onwumereh, Gerard Sheehan, Siobhan Shovlin, Aoibhinn Tormey, Ellen Troy.

 

AGAINST:     Councillors Mark Boland, John Burtchaell, Angela Donnelly, Breda Hanaphy, David Healy, Joan Hopkins, James Humphreys, Corina Johnston, Mary McCamley, Brian McDonagh, Dean Mulligan, Paul Mulville, Patrick Quinlan, Malachy Quinn, Helen Redwood, Brendan Ryan, John Smyth, John Walsh.

 

BUDGET – MOTION 2

 

The following Motion was read into the record of the meeting by the Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary.  It was proposed by Councillor O’Leary, seconded by Councillor E. O’Brien and AGREED:

 

“That the County Council determines in accordance with the budget as adopted the rate as set out in Table A to be the Annual Rate on Valuation to be levied for the Financial Year ending 31 December in 2026 for the purposes set out in Table A”.

 

 

BUDGET – MOTION 3

 

The following Motion was read into the record of the meeting by the Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary. It was proposed by Councillor A. Tormey, seconded by Councillor E. O’Brien and AGREED:

 

“That the County Council approves of the transfer to the Capital Account of the sums provided for various Capital purposes in the Annual Budget for 2026 as adopted”

 

 

 

BUDGET – MOTION 4

 

The following Motion was read into the record of the meeting by the Mayor, Councillor T. O’Leary.  It was proposed by Councillor K. Dennison, seconded by Councillor E. Carbone-Mangan and AGREED:

 

“That Fingal County Council makes a scheme for the abatement of rates in respect of vacant properties in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019, as amended.?

 

Such a scheme in respect of vacant property will provide for an abatement of 0% of rates due to Fingal County Council by a liable person for the financial year ending 31 December 2026”