’Too much stuff is online’ - West Clare councillors look for greater public accessibility for meetings - Clare Echo

WEST Clare councillors have called for Municipal District meetings to be brought into local communities as part of efforts to make local government more accessible.

WEST Clare councillors have called for Municipal District meetings to be brought into local communities as part of efforts to make local government more accessible.

The proposal emerged during a discussion at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, where councillors debated new ways of engaging with residents and young people.

Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) said local authorities continued to grapple with how to encourage people to become involved in local decision-making. He suggested the Municipal District consider holding meetings in community halls across West Clare, including areas such as Corofin and Liscannor .

“Too much stuff is online,” he said, arguing that taking meetings into communities would help tackle misinformation and make local government more accessible.

Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) recalled previous visits by primary and secondary school students to council meetings, describing them as a “fantastic” way of engaging young people before they were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Senior Executive Officer John O’Malley said the council’s Town Centre First programme had demonstrated how engaged young people could be when given the opportunity to participate and suggested the existing Town Team structure could help support future engagement.

He also asked whether councillors wanted to explore holding future Municipal District meetings in other locations across West Clare, telling members the proposal would be investigated.

Cllr Shane Talty (FF) suggested councillors engage with secondary schools in North and West Clare over the next 12 months to assess whether they would be interested in hosting council meetings, saying a school hall could provide an opportunity to involve dozens of students.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) backed the proposal, saying councillors needed to connect more with young people and local communities.

He also pointed to practical benefits of rotating meeting venues and potentially inviting community groups and residents to attend the next municipal district meeting in Kilrush in September as the council begins to explore the idea.

Director of Service Carmel Kirby said community engagement should extend beyond schools and include other groups with an interest in local issues.

Concluding the discussion, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) said previous meetings held in schools had shown that young people were more likely to engage if discussions focused on issues relevant to them, rather than sitting through a full council meeting.

He also supported bringing meetings into communities but said residents needed to know in advance when meetings were taking place and be given opportunities to participate. “If we’re going into the community, have a meeting for the community,” he said, suggesting local groups such as Tidy Towns should be invited to take part.

No formal decision was taken, but councillors agreed the proposal was worth exploring.

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