COUNCIL REPORT
IT would cost Sligo County Council in the region of €20,000 per year to live stream council meetings from County Hall if such a move was to be implemented.
In a response to a motion tabled by Independent Councillor Declan Bree, in which he requested an update on a previously submitted motion, Head of Finance, Marie Whelan told members that the chamber’s current microphone system would also need to be brought up to date. This would cost in the region of between €25,000 and €35,000.
She told councillors: “The current analogue system in the council chamber is incompatible with the implementation of live streaming and would require an upgrade.”
She continued: “With this in place live streaming would cost an additional estimated €20,000 per year based on our current meetings profile. This excludes municipal district meetings.“Ms Whelan said no financial provision for live streaming has been made in the current year’s budget.
Cllr Bree admitted such a move would be a “significant investment for a council our size.”
Fianna Fail Councillor Tom MacSharry commented that live streaming “should be something we should look at further”.