Cllr Mick O’Connell has called for Athlone Town Council council meetings to be made available over the internet for public access. Cllr O’Connell will put the motion forward at the November monthly meeting of the council.
Commenting on the motion, Cllr O’Connell stated, “While some of central government has moved forward with e-initiatives, there are opportunities for local authorities to make use of new technologies that allow the sharing of information over the internet to the public. This proposal is one such measure. I am calling on the council to implement Webcasting technology which would allow video and audio from council meetings to be recorded and made available for viewing by members of the public.”
Cllr O’Connell went on to say that Athlone Town Council itself has been a promoter of internet-based technologies. “Athlone.ie is an excellent portal and the council use their own website to publish notices and useful information. Planning searches can also be performed online. There is even a virtual tour of the new civic centre. Thus this proposal takes the e-strategy of the town council to the next level,” he said.
“By using Webcasts for meetings, the public could at any time access the recorded sessions and understand what goes on in council meetings, who said what, etc. It should assist with generating an interest in town and council matters. Members of the public only generally attend meetings in the public gallery if there is a particular issue of interest. Webcasts allow the public to view the meetings in their own time at their own convenience while at home. People could also replay meetings or sections of meetings.”
