As the details of Kilkenny Borough Council’s draft budget were discussed in the council chamber this week, the measures were welcomed by all members in a rare display of cross-party harmony.
Councillor Joe Reidy said that the budget took into account the designs of all the borough councillors.
“I think this budget reflects more of the members’ wishes than any other,” he said.
“Almost everything we looked for is in this budget. It proves that we can work together.”
In addition to a reduction in commercial rates for local businesses, Kilkenny Borough Council has allocated funding for a number of initiatives to maintain and improve local services.
Scanlon Park will benefit from a €300,000 boost, while €230,000 has been set aside for improvements to Newpark Drive and Ormonde Road.
The City Walls scheme will receive €100,000, and €150,000 has been allocated for support of the arts, including the city’s festivals.
Cllr Malcolm Noonan welcomed the extra support for the city’s festivals, but said that more could be done to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
“We can work together better on this,” he said.
“We could look at sitting down and taking a more strategic approach, on things such as a shared volunteer database or a shared box office.”
In addition, the Watergate Theatre on Parliament Street will receive a €5,000 allocation. The theatre depends on some degree of assistance from the local authority and Arts Council to stay operating throughout the year.
The borough council’s old housing stock will also benefit from a €100,000 boost – for the purposes of energy conservation, as many of the houses urgently require retro-fitting.
Additionally, Kilkenny Borough Council will continue to operate a collection service for both domestic waste and recyclable material. However Cllr Martin Brett said that the service would need local support to continue.
“We appeal to the people of Kilkenny to come together with us to support the refuse collection service in the city,” he said.
Cllr Sean O’ hArgain said he was proud of the municipal waste collection service, while Cllr Malcolm Noonan called for the introduction of a brown bin service. Both councillors said it was important to compete on the open market with the private collection companies.
Other funding recipients include the Research and Innovation Centre (€50,000 ) and a drugs awareness information campaign (€1,000 ).
Mayor David Fitzgerald thanked the members for the successful collaboration on the draft budget.
“This is to invest in the youth of our city and to protect its older members,” he said.
“This budget highlights the importance of local government and shows that we can make better decisions than those who want Government centralised.”
