‘Are they trying to gag us?’ – Louth councillor hits out at restricted coverage of safety partnership meetings

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

A Louth councillor criticised what he described as “a gagging” approach to upcoming Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) meetings.

Cllr. Jim Tenanty (Ind) said he was “shocked” to hear new directives from Minister Jim O’Callaghan would limit press attendance at meeting.

The guidelines published last week make media attendance discretionary and recommend that in the first year of the new structure three of the six scheduled meetings of the 36 partnerships should be held in private.

“Are they going to put a gag on us?” said the mid-Louth councillor who is one of seven elected representatives to have been nominated for a seat on the Louth Local Community Safety Partnership.

In launching the Local Community Safety Partnerships earlier this year Minister O’Callaghan said the new structures, which replace the Joint Policing Committees, would operate “transparently and efficiently,” describing the Partnership as “a much more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven approach to community safety.”

"How can this be transparent?” asked Cllr. Jim Tenanty. “The issues raised at these meetings, especially around crime, will be of huge public interest and significance to our local areas.”

He added that it “seemed to be a gagging attempt", where the public wouldn’t learn what is happening at community safety meetings without press coverage.

Cllr. Tenanty said he was “very annoyed” about media restrictions “given the need to tackle a lot of misinformation online.”

Meanwhile, Cllr. Pearse McGeough (SF) who has also been nominated to the Louth LCSP said he was “very surprised” to hear that press coverage was not being given to all planned meetings.

"I don’t see why the press will be excluded, especially when the Joint Policing Committee meetings were covered by the media, and one meeting there was open to the public.”

Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, National Union of Journalists has written to Mr O’Callaghan requesting an urgent amendment to the guidelines, describing them as being “in complete conflict with the principles outlined by the Minister and directly contrary to media policies being supported by the government.

He said: “Secrecy was for many years the hallmark of local government in Ireland. It beggars belief that an initiative hailed as ‘a fresh approach’ should seek to restrict media access to such a vital community forum, allegedly in the name of developing trust among the partnership members.”

Séamus Dooley added: “There should be a presumption that meetings will be held in public. If there needs to be a private session to discuss matters of particular sensitivity standing orders could allow this, as happen at local authorities and Oireachtas committees.”