Annual Report 2011 - Roscommon County Council

Corporate and Emergency Services
Higher Education Grants
Roscommon County Council administers the Higher Education Grants Scheme in 2011 for
students entering 3rd level education. Candidates must be pursuing a full-time undergraduate
course for a minimum of two year duration in a University or third level institution, which
is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in Ireland or another E.U.
Member State, or full-time postgraduate courses for a minimum of 1 year in Ireland, including
Northern Ireland. Terms and conditions apply.
In 2011/2012 academic year, Roscommon County Council grant aided 619 students at
undergraduate level and 87 postgraduate students. Almost €4m was paid on behalf of students.
In addition, 145 students were eligible for the Special Rate of Maintenance (Top-Up) Grant.
The Department of Education have announced that from September 2012 all new applicants
for Higher Education Grants must apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI –
a division of the City of Dublin VEC). Local Authorities will continue to process renewal
applications for students to whom they are already paying grants until those students have
completed their current courses.
Derelict Sites
The Derelict Site Act 1990 provides for effective arrangements against land dereliction.
Section 3 of the Act requires local authorities to maintain a register of derelict sites. In
addition, it places a general duty on owners and occupiers of land including statutory bodies
and state authorities to prevent land from becoming or from continuing to be a derelict site.
The local authority must take all reasonable steps to ensure that land in their functional area
does not become or continue to be a derelict site.
Dog Control
Under the provisions of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, the Local Authority is responsible
for the control of dogs within the area of county Roscommon. This task is undertaken in
association with the I.S.P.C.A. with direct contribution from Roscommon County Council’s
of €97,754 in 2011.
In 2011, 280 stray/unwanted dogs were handled at the dog pound: 30 were re-claimed by
owners; 47 were allocated new homes and, regrettably, 203 had to be put down. All dog
owners are required by law to have a current dog licence which can be purchased from any
Post Office a cost of €20. 3,193 Dog Licences were issued in 2011 and the total income from
licences and fines was €32,100.
Veterinary Functions
Roscommon County Council operates a service contract with the Food Safety Authority
of Ireland, F.S.A.I., to oversee food safety in 10 slaughterhouses and 7 stand-alone meat
manufacturing plants. The supervision of slaughter is carried out by Roscommon County
Council’s Veterinary Officer and Temporary Veterinary Inspectors, T.V.I.s. All animals are
inspected ante-mortem to ensure they are healthy and fit for slaughter.The traceability of
the animals is also verified. All slaughtered animals are inspected post-mortem to ensure
the meat is fit for human consumption. All meat that has been passed as fit to eat is stamped
with a health mark consisting of an oval with the letters Ireland, the approval number of the
premises and the letters E.C. In 2011, 3,230 cattle and 6,592 sheep were slaughtered in Local
Authority supervised slaughterhouses in county Roscommon.
28 Roscommon County Council