Meath County Council CEO Kieran Kehoe has indicated his support for the principle that councillors should, as a general rule, attend Council meetings in person rather than routinely participating remotely through Zoom. His comments reflect a position that Independent Councillor Joe Bonner has been advocating for some time.
The issue was raised during the full council meeting on Monday, 2nd November, when members were debating a motion from Cllr Yvonne Everard calling for Council meetings to be recorded. During the discussion, Mr Kehoe indicated his agreement with Cllr Bonner’s view that members should be physically present in the chamber.
Cllr Bonner has raised the matter on several occasions, questioning whether meaningful debate and proper engagement between elected representatives and the Council executive can be achieved when participants routinely attend remotely.
Speaking to Meath Live, Cllr Bonner said that with the Covid pandemic now behind us, there was no general need for councillors to continue participating in meetings through Zoom.
“I have been saying this for a long time. COVID is over, and there is no general need for councillors to be attending meetings remotely.
“Being elected to represent your community is a privilege, and the very least people should expect is that their elected representatives turn up and participate in the meetings.
“In order to have constructive meetings, proper engagement with the Council executive and to represent the people who elected us, we should be in the room and engaging with each other.
“There is also a growing perception, and considerable talk, about other work-related activities being carried out while elected members are logged in remotely and participating in local authority meetings. That raises serious questions about the level of engagement and commitment to the business being discussed.”
Cllr Bonner pointed out that councillors are required to attend two main meetings each month, the Full Council meeting and their respective Municipal District meeting, and said that the majority of members should be present in person.
He acknowledged, however, that there should be flexibility for those with specific needs or genuine personal circumstances that prevent them from attending in person.
“I would fully support special arrangements for councillors or members of the Council executive who have particular needs or circumstances that make it difficult for them to attend in person. However, as a general rule, the majority of participants should be in the chamber.”
New Chamber Could Restore Pride and Proper Standards
Cllr Bonner also pointed out that several current elected members have never actually sat in the Meath County Council Chamber to represent their electorate, having served their terms while meetings were conducted remotely or in alternative locations.
He welcomed the commencement of construction of the new chamber and said he hoped the facility would be operational in the new year, providing a proper setting for elected representatives and the Council executive to meet, debate and carry out their responsibilities.
He said the new facility should bring a renewed sense of place and identity to Council meetings, providing a chamber where councillors could take pride in sitting and representing their respective communities.
Cllr Bonner has previously raised concerns about what he describes as a gradual slippage in the conduct and standards of Council meetings, with practices that would previously have been considered unacceptable now becoming increasingly commonplace.
He pointed to difficulties in identifying who is actually participating in meetings, particularly where some elected members are attending remotely, cameras are switched off and it is not always clear to other members who is present and actively participating.
He believes the current configuration of the meeting room, combined with the widespread use of remote attendance, has contributed to these difficulties. A properly designed chamber, he believes, would help restore a greater sense of order, formality and accountability for both elected members and the Council executive.
Cllr Bonner also believes that improvements should not be put on hold pending the completion of the new facility.
“If changes to the Standing Orders are needed to bring Council meetings back to the standards of conduct and participation expected, then we need to address that now. We should not wait until the new chamber is completed before putting things right.”
The CEO indicated that the new chamber would be fit for purpose, although no specific completion date was confirmed at the meeting.
