Dedicated Limerick Council WhatsApp number could lighten the load on ’foot soldiers’

THE introduction of a dedicated Limerick Council WhatsApp number to allow people log complaints with relevant photos...

THE introduction of a dedicated Limerick Council WhatsApp number to allow people log complaints with relevant photos of issues that require repair was proposed.

Labour Party councillor Joe Leddin reminded September’s Metropolitan District meeting that the motion is one he previously raised with the local authority. According to the City West representative, Council members are constantly inundated with emails and texts on issues from people. He now believes the middle man can be taken out of the mix.

“We’re constantly sending emails in when we get issues from people. Only this morning, I opened up my email box to three or four emails about a light pole not working, a traffic light damaged, a bollard bent over on O’Connell Street, a pothole, or whatever the case may be,” Cllr Leddin explained.

“Then we’re subsequently rewriting the email and sending it into customer services. In this digital era, whereby everyone now has some form of a digital device, you could have a WhatsApp number.

“Most people, when they’re out walking, they’re not going to go home and email customer service, they’re going to email the councillor because they know us and we’re on the ground and we’re the foot soldiers,” he insisted.

Cllr Leddin took the view that a dedicated WhatsApp number could lighten the load, bypassing the need for councillors to go home and send in an email to the Council on these issues.

A direct line, he maintains, would cut down on the duplication of work.

Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara felt there was some good in the motion, but ultimately opted to sit on the fence.

“I think it might help to avoid clientelism and promote political autonomy and empower people, rather than infantilising people, that they can go straight to the source to get their answer,” Cllr Hickey-O’Mara suggested.

“I’m not sure about it. I’m not going to second it. I just want to say that I think there is some good in it,” he added.

Fianna Fáil councillor Catherine Slattery made it clear that she had no problem seconding the motion. However, she wanted it known that councillors have no issue with their electorate contacting local representatives with any problems that arise.

“We’re doing it years, logging emergencies, logging whatever the public want us to log, but what I would like to add to this motion is, where that WhatsApp number could come in extremely handy is for the out-of-hours emergency line,” Cllr Slattery told the meeting.

She continued: “I dealt with a lady last week, and she had water pouring down from her ceiling, and she was in her 80s. Basically, you’re told if the water isn’t coming through a light or an electricity source, it’s not an emergency. Well, I beg to differ because when you’re elderly living alone with no help or anything like that, and there’s a leak coming down her ceiling, it certainly is an emergency.”

“It took three days, and I had to escalate it up to the top to get someone out there. If the WhatsApp number was extended to the out of hour services, and set up amongst the engineers, they could get people out as soon as possible.”

In response, the local authority pointed out that customers can contact Limerick Council through a number of channels including personal interactions with councillors and staff, the customer service desk, email, social media, telephone, webform, and MyLimerick.

“Limerick City and County Council recognises and is working with the newer and emerging modes of communication and channels to improve public interaction and customer service. The Council will explore the potential and implications of a dedicated WhatsApp number as part of a wider review of customer service platforms,” the Council stated.