Posted on by Eilish

Minutes of KCC Meeting 16th April 2025

In Attendance: List available in KCC office.

  1. Apologies: Shane Curley, Peter Roach, Mary Uí Eochaidh, Hilda O’Grady, Gerhard Terpelle.
  2. Minutes of last meeting: Read by Ian and agreed.
  3. Matters arising: to be covered in agenda
  4. Correspondence: email read out from Sharon Murphy Galway One World Centre.
  5. Paul Killilea Update:
  6. Community Transport Study.  Waiting on its publication as is due end of April. I raised issue at Municipal District meeting again as it wasn’t on agenda and want to ensure it remains so. I am engaging with Active Travel Team and pushing for deadline to be met and to progress it further to next step.
  7. I went around village and surrounds with our Local Area Engineer Dave O ‘Loughlin highlighting key issues and seeking solutions and information for those. Very worthwhile exercise and hoping with Engineer to get solutions to some of the issues in near future. Also planned meeting re traffic issues with Albert Dolan TD and area Engineer along with rep from Community Centre re traffic issues in village.
  8. Reminder re School Transport Scheme deadline for applications is 25/04/25 as very important to get in for next school year.
  9. IPAS Centre. Still making representations to both Depts. re future of Merriman as it’s simply not good enough to date what has taken place. KCC to be commended for efforts made to-date.  
  10. Fleadh Na gCuach May 2nd – 4th are widening the spectrum of events for individuals and families. The team are looking for volunteers to help in any way – contact Maeve Kelly.
  11. Pedestrian Crossing in village has been sought for years. A transport scheme needs to be in place. Eamonn Coy hopes that the next meeting scheduled will hopefully move the issue forward.
  12. Kinvara Tidy Towns: reported to the Community Council meeting that our management of green areas in our village will be managed as close as possible to meadow from this year onwards. This will be a more managed approach than previously so cutting of the grass will take place every 4 weeks approximately so this gives wildflowers a chance to grow but also keeps the areas tidy.
  13. Sustainable Development Goals – Our second update involves our efforts to publicise the Sustainability Goals as outlined in 2015 by the UN so our plan is to place a mobile unit with all 17 goals colourfully placed in the Community Centre and in Seamount College so that people will get familiar with them. We will request permission from the Directors before placing this mobile unit.  
  14. Futureproofing the community centre against storm/flooding– group have done some work on drawing up a list of improvements for the Community Centre which would make the building more ready for any future climate related emergencies including storms and flooding. Being relatively energy independent which will involve more solar PV panels and some batteries as well as an EV charger will be part of the proposal. We have now had a meeting with EnergieXPro who installed the existing PV panels and they are drawing up a quote for us. They asked us for estimates of the numbers of people who might need this support. Also they request any details on possible grant aid we might be able to avail of and what will be included. We will communicate directly with the Directors regarding this.
  15. New user agreement for KAVA courthouse – members of KAVA have questions regarding the new user agreement with KCC. Ian has accepted invitation to meet members to clarify the position at a meeting to be held between 1st – 9th May.
  1. Merriman Update –
  2. The discussion on the government decision to issue a contract to MLC Hotels Ltd for the use of the Merriman Hotels as an IPAS accommodation centre was opened by Chair Ian Walsh with a statement from the directors of the Community Council. It was explained that this decision was advised to KCC without prior consultation or knowledge on 19th March. The Board convened a meeting of East Galway Oireachtas members to discuss this decision. The Board pointed out that the signing of the contract was in direct contravention of government policy to not contract the sole hotel in villages. The Oireachtas members agreed to speak with the Taoiseach and request the rescinding of the contract. The Board had highlighted their concerns in local and national media.
  3. The Taoiseach has written to KCC indicating that the contract was signed as it was the opinion of the government that the Merriman was not operating as a hotel and did not fall within policy guidelines.
  4. The meeting was opened to the floor.
  5. There were many contributions expressing significant opposition to this contract. Speakers stated that the Merriman Hotel is the only hotel in the village and plays a central role in both the economic and social fabric of the community. The decision to repurpose it for IPAS accommodation removes any opportunity of this critical resource being returned to a village that is heavily reliant on tourism and seasonal visitors for its livelihood. Residents feel blindsided by the lack of consultation or engagement before the finalisation of this contract. The absence of local dialogue goes against the very principles of partnership and transparency that underpin effective community integration and planning.
  6. Several speakers expressed concern about the Ukrainian residents who are currently being accommodated in the hotel. There is considerable uncertainty about their future should the IPAS contract proceed. These families have integrated into the community, and any disruption to their current arrangements would be deeply unsettling and counterproductive. This community has welcomed both refugees and Ukrainians alike over the past 6 years, and now is the time to return the sole hotel of this village back to its original purpose.
  7. East Galway TDs Albert Dolan (FF) and Louis O’Hara (FG) spoke in support of the community and undertook to speak again with the Ministers and the Department responsible for this contract. They were joined in this support by Senator Anne Rabbitte (FF), and collectively they committed to work to have this contract paused pending a review.
  8. It was suggested, from the floor, that a judicial review should be requested. A local legal resource, with experience of these matters, has volunteered their services to initiate this work. 
  9. The meeting resolved to continue to apply pressure through media channels, political representation, and to initiate the judicial review route. The overall consensus was to use all available channels to have this contract rescinded.
  10. Next meeting Wednesday: 21st May at 8pm