Vol. 557 No. 1
434 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has considered measures to ensure that Oireachtas Members will have full access to all agendas, proposals and papers, to non-voting attendance at meetings of councils, area committees, SPCs and to all officials on county and city councils within their Dáil constituencies of which they are not members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21488/02]
Proposed amendments to this effect were tabled during the Oireachtas passage of the relevant Bill, but have not been embodied in the Local Government Act, 2001. However, Parts 6 and 7 together with Schedule 10 of that Act have recently updated the law on local authority meetings, committees and related matters. Under these provisions, which came into operation on 17 July 2002, the public has for the first time in law the right of attendance at local authority meetings and com mittee meetings. The Act also provides a right of attendance for representatives of the media and applies stricter conditions than before to the circumstances in which a local authority may meet in private.
Local authorities must display a public notice of a meeting at their main offices. The notice must include the agenda for the meeting or state where it may be inspected. Additionally, local authorities may by resolution or standing orders arrange for the display of such notice at other suitable locations. Local authorities must supply copies of the notice of the meeting and agenda to any person upon request and may also arrange for the supply of copies to the media. Under the new meetings code each local authority had to make standing orders in accordance with the Act to come into operation concurrently with the relevant provisions on 17 July. Subject to the provisions of the Act, standing orders are a matter for decision by the elected council.
There are no proposals to alter these provisions. They will, however, be kept under review in the light of the operation of the new arrangements and ongoing developments.
