Mayo’s new Local Community Safety Partnership meeting in private but chairperson insists there is no media ban
Reports have circulated suggesting that a “media ban” has been placed on Mayo’s new Local and Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), but the group’s chairperson has insisted that no such ban exists.
LCSPs are a new statutory authority bought in to replace the Joint Policing Committee. The partnerships will bring together residents, community and voluntary groups, businesses, local councillors, An Garda Síochána, the HSE and Tusla, to address local safety concerns.
One of 37 partnerships established nationwide, the Mayo LCSP held its inaugural meeting last week, with Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Loftus appointed as Chairperson.
At the meeting, it was agreed that initial sessions would be held privately. The decision has drawn criticism from some local representatives and media outlets.
Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne and Fine Gael councillor Donna Sheridan have both publicly called for the meetings to be opened to the press.
Former councillor and retired garda Christy Hyland told The Connaught Telegraph that committees of this nature “should have nothing to hide,” warning that excluding the media could create a perception of secrecy.
However, Cllr Loftus has said the intention behind holding private early meetings was simply to allow members time to build relationships and familiarise themselves with the issues they will be tackling.
“It is not a ban on the actual media,” he explained. “The media will be involved. We are just trying to bring the group together initially and to get to know each other.”
Describing the LCSP as a “work in progress,” Cllr Loftus emphasised the partnership’s commitment to transparency.
“We will be giving press releases and speaking to the media as much as possible,” he said.
Cllr Loftus has previously advocated for greater media access in local government meetings, having proposed a motion last July to allow journalists to attend Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) meetings in Mayo.
His stance remains the same for the LCSP: “The media will be very much involved because there are a lot of positive things we hope to bring out in relation to our work.
“I am very much in favour of letting people know what’s going on, and we are working for the community.”
On managing differing views on media restrictions within the partnership, Cllr Loftus said decisions about future access will ultimately be made collectively.
“Our group will decide based on how the people in our group feel – that is the best policy going forward. This is a partnership, we want to work together and make sure everyone can have a say in how they want to improve their own communities.”
He added that the priority for now is relationship‑building: “To give everyone the opportunity to meet and talk is the big thing for me. We are forming our group and beginning to work together.”
“We will speak to the media, that is not going to be an issue. We are not excluding under any circumstances the media in relation to the partnership going forward,” he said.
LCSPs are required to hold at least one meeting per quarter, as well as one annual public meeting and one closed meeting exclusively for elected representatives.
It had been reported that the decision to restrict media access came from central government, in line with national protocols issued by the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan. However, when contacted by the Irish Independent, the Department of Justice said, “The government is not limiting media access to Local Community Safety Partnerships.”
A spokesperson explained that the National Office for Community Safety has issued a comprehensive guidance document to local authority Chief Executives and staff to support the establishment and operation of the new LCSPs. The guidance aims to provide “clarity and direction” for LCSPs while also allowing groups the “flexibility to develop and implement arrangements that are responsive to local circumstances and community safety needs.”
Described as a “living document,” it can be updated as the various LCSPs progress.
“Transparency and accountability to the general public and media are an important factor of the Safety Partnerships’ work,” the spokesperson said. “The guidance provides that they will be able to facilitate media attendance at meetings at their discretion and by way of a request to the Chair.”
The document suggests that LCSPs consider holding initial meetings in private to “allow for relations and trust to develop among members” as the partnership develops a workplan.
“This approach should be reviewed as the Partnership’s work evolves,” the statement said.
Recognising the importance of transparency, the guidance also notes that when meetings are held in private, “an agreed report of the meeting should be made publicly available” and “shared directly with the media as part of a partnership’s communications strategy.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.