Camera shy councillors unlikely go live because of streaming cost

Camera shy councillors unlikely go live because of streaming cost

19 August 2015

RATEPAYERS are unlikely to see their councillors in action in the debating chamber as politicians this week backed away from streaming their meetings live on the internet.

The cost of providing the service is the main reason councillors in Newry Mourne and Down Council have cold feet about going live on line, although they are to have further discussions before making a formal decision.

When Down Council considered on line streaming in 2013 the cost was estimated at £20,000 and while the new super council has not researched the cost it is likely to be considerable.

Another factor also being considered is information from Belfast City Council that when it’s meetings were broadcast live on line in 2013 the highest viewing figure was just 10.

Party leaders are to discuss potentially streaming monthly council meetings and while many politicians are open to the idea, it is highly unlikely to happen any time soon given the costs involved.

Members of the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee discussed on line streaming during their meeting last week.

Council director, Canice O’Rourke, explained the council’s debating chamber in Downpatrick has two sets of camera systems. One is used for video conferencing while the other system is used during council meetings to project councillors faces on two large screens when they are speaking during debates.

He said the system used during the monthly meetings could be used to broadcast over the internet, but the necessary software is not in place.

Councillor Willie Clarke described the cost of streaming monthly meetings as “considerable” and said the party leaders would need more time to discuss the issue. He said across the life of the new super council the expense of broadcasting meetings would be expensive.

“Ratepayers want transparency and when it comes to their rates bills they want best value. This is an issue which requires more debate, but the costs are going to be quite high,” he added.

Councillor Billy Walker believes it would be unwise to stream meetings given the cost of such an exercise. He said services across the district are being pegged back, not just those delivered by the local authority.

“If we were to proceed with streaming our meetings I believe people would speak out strongly because of the high costs involved. I do believe ratepayers should have an opportunity to see what their elected representatives get up to and how many are attending meetings. However, the cost is just a bit much and would be very hard to justify,” he added.

Councillor Michael Carr said while he believes meetings should be streamed, he does not think people would tune in at the moment. He did agree the issue should be investigated further as other councils are broadcasting their meetings, warning the new council that it would not want to be “behind the right ball” on this issue.

Councillor Terry Andrews said local government must be “open and transparent” and suggested council officials should make contact with their counterparts at the former Belfast City Council to find out more about their streaming experience.