Vol. 446 No. 5
35 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for the Environment the local authorities which make facilities available for members of the public to attend their meetings; if he intends to ensure that this facility will be provided by every local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2344/94]
Under existing law, there is no statutory obligation on local authorities to admit the public to their meetings; information on the number of authorities who do so is not available in my Department.
I am anxious that the public should have a right to attend these meetings, subject to practical considerations such as the physical constraints of council chambers. I propose to deal with the matter in the context of regulations under section 30 of the Local Government Act, 1994, regarding meetings and procedures of local authorities. I am consulting all local authorities in this regard, as I promised in the course of the debates on the Bill.
