Further delays on Mayo council meetings being live-streamed

FAILURE to advance the live-streaming of council meetings in Mayo has disappointed some elected members.

They feel it would improve transparency and accountability, while also promoting a better understanding of how decisions are made.

A year ago, a motion from Councillor Ger Deere requesting that members of the public be facilitated to watch meetings of the local authority live online was passed.

His colleague Councillor Donna Sheridan has also supported the move, and noting a new teleconferencing system in the council chamber at Áras in Chondae at their April meeting, she asked where it's all at.

Councillor Michael Smyth, cathaoirleach, said he agreed in principle with public engagement and transparency but they needed to have a policy in place.

He reminded members that the council chamber does not have Dáil privilege.

That should not be a block on them, but they needed more engagement, possibly at strategic policy level.

Councillor Sheridan pointed out that meetings are already recorded and can be requested under Freedom of Information, and they are held in the public domain with the media present.

Other local authorities are already live-streaming their meetings. As it is, people can ask to log in to the Mayo meetings so she couldn't see why they can't be put out online.

Councillor Mark Duffy there was huge value in them being open and transparent, and for people to see the issues they bring up.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Deere said participation in politics begins with an understanding of how things work and streaming meetings is one way that this can be improved.

It won't radically transform how the public interacts with the council but it's a step in the right direction.

Having proposed the motion in February 2021, he was told that it would have to be discussed at corporate policy committee.

“It's over a year now and I'm extremely disappointed that it's still not in place.”

He couldn't understand what the reservations are as several councils have had live-streaming in place for some time now.