Alliance Councillor Peter McReynolds has said the audio recording of Belfast City Council working groups is a “major win” for ratepayers.
East Belfast Councillor Mr McReynolds was speaking after the first recordings of the working groups were uploaded to the Council website. It marks a successful campaign by Councillor McReynolds, who said it was an important step towards full transparency of the decision-making process.
“Since 2014, the area working groups have allocated more than £4.6 million to various projects and programmes across Belfast,” he said.
“However, no decision made in the previously unrecorded groups was ever significantly debated or rejected by the audio recorded Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. This meant the area working group mechanisms had unintentionally become a money allocating body outside of the scrutiny of the public.
“Therefore it is only right the public are able to go on the website and listen to how decisions are made and how funding allocations are granted. Alliance has always demanded the highest standard of accountability, integrity and transparency from politics, and this decision is a major win for the ratepayers of Belfast.”