Laois Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil councillors reject live streamed meetings
The online live streaming of council meetings happens in some other counties but it will not be done in Laois.
Laois County Council has already spent money installing video cameras and new microphones to the council chambers, but this month the county's 13 Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors voted together to reject a request to broadcast their monthly meetings live on the internet.
Former Fine Gael Cllr Aisling Moran, now an independent after she resigned from her party, had tabled two motions requesting that meetings be live streamed, in the interests of "transparency".
Following her motions, a sub committee was set up to consider the idea. At the May meeting, the Director of Services Donal Brennan announced that that committee "did not reach any agreed recommendation".
Instead the decision was put to a vote.
Independent Cllr Ollie Clooney said he had chaired some of those meetings, but abstained from the vote.
"We couldn't come to a plan. The number of people looking at these meetings is very low. I personally am not very enthusiastic about this. It's up to the council to put it to a vote. We'd all like to see this put to bed, either go ahead or put a stop to it," he said.
Cllr Moran was attending remotely.
"I am actually in hospital but this is such an important motion. It would be a very positive step forward for Laois. Our politicians can be seen live on Oireachtas. Some argue that the public has access to our meetings but overall they are not given the opportunity to see the good work we do. When elections roll around we wonder why turnout is so low.
"The public need to see who wants transparency and who doesn't. Our constituents will have an opportunity to ask why we voted against it," Cllr Moran said.
She was supported by the "technical group" of six non FG and FF councillors.
Sinn Féin Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley is among them.
"I feel we've to move with the times. I know the numbers are low but we don't know in this county what sort of uptake there would be. The public could look back at clips for social media. The cost is very low. I believe in the future it will be used by all county councils," she said.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Paschal McEvoy is against it.
"I am opposed and I have been from the start. But I would certainly support it being on the agenda for the new 19 councillors elected in 2024," he said.
Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly said the figures watching elsewhere are so low that he is not in favour.
"We have local press here, you'd just be making them redundant," he said.
Donal Brennan explained that they had installed the upgrades on IT to make way for the live-streaming, if the councillors wanted it.
"We have modern digital audio and video equipment. To do live streaming will take a little bit more. Other local authorities with similar facilities pay €25,000 a year as an ongoing cost to a third party provider," he said.
The decision was put to a vote, with 12 against, six for, and Cllr Clooney abstaining.