Register of Electors

Register of Electors in the County of Kilkenny

Local Electoral Area	No of Electors
Kilkenny City	14,651
Piltown	14,219
Thomastown	12,132
Ballyragget	12,112
Callan	8,503
Kilkenny	4,785

 

2004/2005 Register of Electors - Highlights

Dail Constituency	Presidential Electors	Dail Electors
Carlow-Kilkenny	65,419	65,833

 

European Parliment

Constituency	European Electors
Leinster	65,948

 

Conditions for Registration

Age: A person must be at least 18 years of age on the day the register comes into force (15th February). A person may be included on a Supplement to the Register on reaching 18 and after the 15th February. Every resident aged 18 and upwards is entitled to be on the register or the Supplement.

Citizenship: A person's citizenship determines the election a person may vote at. The right to vote is as follows:

Irish Citizen:	May vote at every election and referendum
British Citizen:	May vote at Dail, European and Local Elections
Other EU Citizens:	May vote at European and Local Elections
Non-EU Citizens:	May vote at local elections only
Residence	A person must be ordinarily resident at the address in question and may register at one address only

 

The Draft Register of Electors is published on the 1st November each year.

The Final Register of Electors is published on the 1st February each year and becomes effective from the 15th February.

The Edited Register

The Edited Register of Electors will be published for 2005/2006 which will contain the name of persons who indicated that they wished to have their names entered on same and which will be available for non-statutory purposes.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE REGISTER OF ELECTORS

If a person is not included in the Register of Electors currently in force but considers that he/she qualifies for registration, the person may apply for entry in a supplement to the register. In order to qualify, a person must meet the citizenship, residence and age requirements which apply to the register concerned. Applications for entry in the supplement must be received by Kilkenny County Council at least 14 working days before an election or referendum. Persons entered in the supplement are entitled to vote at elections/referenda held during the currency of the register.

POSTAL VOTERS

The following categories can vote by post:

1. Whole-time members of the Defence Forces.
2. Irish Diplomats posted abroad and their spouses.
3. Members of the Garda Siochana.
4. Disabled persons living at home who cannot vote at a polling station due to physical illness or physical disability,
5. Persons who due to circumstances of their occupation, service or employment. This includes students participating in a full time course in this state.

Note: Applications for a postal vote must be renewed on an annual basis.

SPECIAL VOTERS

Electors who are ordinarily resident in a hospital, home or other institution for persons with a physical illness or physical disability are eligible for entry on a special voters list. This is where a special presiding officer is accompanied by a Garda, whose role is to guard the ballot papers (in the same way as in a polling station) and to act as an independent witness to ensure that the voting procedure is carried out properly.

Note: Applications to be included in the Special Voters List must be renewed on an annual basis.

INSPECTING THE REGISTER

Any person may inspect the Draft Register/Final Register during working hours at the offices of Kilkenny County Council, Kilkenny Borough Council, Public Libraries, Post Offices and Garda Stations.

 

Kilkenny Local Authorities Corporate Plan 2004/2009

Kilkenny Local Authorities Corporate Plan for 2004/2009 was approved at the December 2004 Meeting of Kilkenny County Council. The Corporate Plan serves as the Local Authorities strategic framework for action in the future. Underpinning the preparation of this Plan was the involvement through consultation of a broad group of stake holders both from inside and outside the organisation.

A series of internal consultations took place with both Councillors and Staff which feed into the plan. Consultants were engaged to carry out an extensive Customer Satisfaction Survey which will guide the preparation of Kilkenny Local Authorities Operational Plans for 2005 and beyond. These yearly Operational Plans will spell out in more detail the activities undertaken by different service areas to deliver on the Corporate Plan's broad objectives.

As Kilkenny Local Authorities plans and activities are linked to the input and influence of other agencies and bodies, the Corporate Plan was drafted with cognisance to the influence of policies coming down from European, National and Regional levels and mindful of the need for linkages with the policies of other agencies. For this reason the plan was presented to the agencies with which we work in partnership within the framework of the County Development Board and to the sectoral interests represented on the various Strategic Policy Committees.

The Corporate Plan can be accessed on the Local Authorities website: www.kilkennycoco.ie
 

 

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Acts 1997 came into effect for Local Authorities from 21st October, 1998. An application fee of €15 must accompany a request for non-personal information (Freedom of Information Act 2003). A total of 31 requests were received in 2004.

 

Grants Under Section 6 of the Local Goverment Act, 1991

A total of €35,700 was allocated under the above scheme. 74 Grants were awarded.
 

 

Number of Council Meetings + Payments to Councillors

Number of Council Meetings, Committee Meetings Held from 1st January, 2004 to 31st December, 2004.

No. of Ordinary Monthly Meetings	10	Woodstock	0
Special Meetings of the Council	4	Integrated Area Plan	4
Estimates	2	Goul Joint Drainage	2
Thomastown Electoral Area	4	County Development Board	4
Kilkenny Electoral Area	5	Corporate Policy Group	10
Callan Electoral Area	5	Water Safety	6
Piltown Electoral Area	5	Joint Traffic Committee	0
Ballyragget Electoral Area	4	Barrow Nore Suir	9
Rural Water Monitoring	7	Kilkenny Community Action Network	11
Traveller Accommodation	5	County Enterprise Board	7
SPC1 - Economic Development & Planning Policy	4
SPC2 - Infrastructure, Transportation, Water Services & Other	3
SPC3 - Environmental Policy including Sanitary Services, Fire Services, Emergency Planning	4
SPC4 - Housing Policy, Social	4
SPC5 - Arts, Culture, Heritage, Tourism, Education	4

Payments:

Council Meetings / Committee Meetings :	€ 123,327.04
Training and Education Allowance :	€ 75,260.54
Foreign Travel :	€ 3,863.33
SPC Chairperson Allowance :	€ 25,299.33

 

 

Workplace Partnership in Kilkenny County and City Councils

During 2004 the process of managing change through Partnership reached another mile stone with the presentation of reports from the four working groups to the Partnership Committee and management of Kilkenny County Council this marked another step in a process which commenced with an extensive series of consultation sessions with Local Authority staff at all levels in 2003.

Under the "Sustaining Progress" the increases under Benchmarking have to be verified against agreed commitments and flexibility measures

These consultation sessions had taken part because:-

• Under the "Sustaining Progress" the increases under Benchmarking have to be verified against agreed commitments and flexibility measures.
• The workplace partnership committee in its action plan sought the identification through consultation with staff of a range of issues which could be addressed through Partnership.
• These sessions and these subsequent reports coming from the working groups will feed into Kilkenny Local Authorities Corporate Plan covering the years 2004-2009.
• The working groups which met for an initial 6 months period from April to October were looking at issues under the following four headings:-
  • Communications
  • Customer Services
  • Working Conditions
  • Work Practices

 

Following completion of the reports the following recommendations were agreed by management and by the partnership committee:-

• A communications strategy for Kilkenny Local Authorities looking at improving both internal and external communications.
• A revised customer charter and action plan
• Ongoing improvements in workplace Health & Safety
• Improved work planning and structures
• Progressing family friendly issues for staff
• Measures to achieve greater value for money
• This process will be on going in 2005

 

The Partnership Committee for Kilkenny Borough Council was reconstituted in 2004. This committee which will also have representation on the main Kilkenny Local Authorities Committee will look at partnership issues specifically dealing with Kilkenny Borough Council, particularly those arising in the Consultation Report completed in 2003 It is hoped that the committee will progress in the forthcoming year.

While 2004 saw further progression in workplace partnership from so called "soft issues" to the harder issues of workplace organisational change, there were still a number of projects progressed which were co funded through Partnership. Chief among them was a "Family Day" for staff of Kilkenny Local Authorities. This day which was organised by a Working Group with assistance from Corporate Affairs and Kilkenny Borough Council was held on the 4th September. Over 300 staff from the two local authorities and their families attended. Whereas the focus of the day was providing entertainment for the children of staff, there was also entertainment and refreshments for the adults the good weather that day contributed greatly to its success.
 

Family Friendly Day, September 2004 - Co-funded by LANPAG, the National Workplace Partnership Advisory Group