Council boss wants to prevent the press from covering some meetings
Mayo County Council Chief Executive Kevin Kelly is not happy with the way Strategic Policy Committee meetings are working.
The chief executive of Mayo County Council is seeking to no longer invite journalists to the local authority’s Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs).
Kevin Kelly told councillors at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council that he wants the SPCs to focus more on pure policy issues.
Mr Kelly said he saw no reason for the press to attend the SPC meetings and that their workings can enter the public domain when matters are brought before the council meeting.
“I can think of a number of things that we spent hours and hours talking about in this chamber without any resolution, without any outcome, or indeed without any understanding of the implications of the decision that we are talking about. Those are the things that should be done in that forum in the proper way that SPCs are intended to run. If you look across the country I bet you’ll find only a handful of local authorities that have the press at SPC meetings," said the council boss.
He said the move is “about democracy” and having more of a role for councillors.
“Except the press are regarded as the guardians of democracy,” countered Cllr Kilcoyne.
“That’s like saying we as councillors will have all the say and the people will know nothing,” added Cllr Richard Finn.
Fine Gael’s councillor Michael Burke backed Mr Kelly claiming that some councillors “will play to the press” during the course of meetings.
Fianna Fail’s Damien Ryan said the meetings' functions should be looked at but he believed the press should continue to have a role.
