The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Council goes back to college
THERE were more than a few who attended Monday’s Kerry County Council meeting – the first since lock-down was lifted – who had nightmares about re-sitting their Leaving Cert given the set-up of the Kerry Sports Academy in accommodating the ‘new normal’.
This normality now also includes face-makes, hand sanitisation stations, and social distancing requirements.
It also means two-hour meetings – a move that not all councillors favour given the tighter time-frame to argue their points but, without doubt, the attending media members were united in welcoming such a development.
But one thing that is clear is that strict precautions are being taken in the current climate, starting with entry to the meetings where all in attendance are asked to fill out a questionnaire querying their health status and which will also help should contact tracing be required.
Face-masks are not mandatory but are being worn by some of the 33 elected members of Kerry County Council – the majority of whom attended Monday’s meeting.
Gone are the days of chats before and after the meeting, and no tea or biscuits, in a bid to curtail contact between those in attendance. The IT Tralee Kerry Sports Academy was rented especially for the occasion to ensure social distancing requirements were met, and it was fitted out just like an exam hall. It functioned just the same, with no contact between tables spread out across the room. One would wonder why the Leaving Cert was not feasible given the empty building that could have been used just like this to accommodate students.
Microphones were dotted across the room to ensure that all could be heard, though speaking with face-masks comes with its challenges. and may render them rather useless in such a setting.
The environment will be happy given that reams of paper are also no longer part and parcel of local authority meetings, as all documents are now emailed to prevent passing out reports and other vital documents. Of course this can only be seen as a bonus, but while all of this meets COVID requirements, concerns were raised about how councillors could do their jobs in such an environment, and it is an important query as democracy is vital. That’s why the Dáil must continue to sit, and so too must the council. But discussion is key to this – something which is not made easy in the confines of a two-hour meeting.
It is this debate and public interaction that bring the work of the local authority to the public – a role that will be ever more important post lock-down. But the hustle and bustle of business is lost for now, and I, for one, miss it.