Spending £20k annually on broadcasting Council on internet is not best use of money

Pottinger Alliance Party Councillor Máire Hendron has blasted proposals to spend £20,000 annually live streaming the proceedings of the monthly meetings of the Council on the internet saying there are many organisations and community groups crying out for council funding to ensure they can survive. The proposal was discussed and passed at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday 22nd October and will be decided finally at the full Council meeting on Monday 1st November.

Cllr Máire Hendron said: “While we need to make the Council accessible to the public, spending £20,000 annually on broadcasting Council meetings on the website would not be the best use of public money. We have community groups across the city that deliver important services who are crying out for money to ensure they can survive.

“While I can see the possible merit of this idea in the future, in the current financial climate I believe that this money could be better spent in other areas. Currently the public can attend council meetings and has access to all the minutes on the Council website.

“Resources in local government are very scarce and we need to use them as effectively as possible to ensure that we can maintain important public services. I could provide a list of groups who desperately need funding and for councillors to decide to spend £20,000 each year for the next three on broadcasting the Council on the internet, would be wrong.”

ENDS