Causeway Coast and Glens councillors to meet 'in person' to discuss controversial issues

At this month’s committee meeting, chair and DUP Alderman, Michelle Knight-McQuillan, said the current hybrid meeting format, which allowed for attendance both in person and online, was “disjointed” and did not allow members to “participate properly” in discussions.

“When we were either meeting in person or all online it seemed to be the flow of the meeting went better,” Alderman Knight-McQuillan said. “Most of it ends up in committee because of the confidential nature of the items that we’re working with.

“Some of you will recall our early meetings where we were able to get around a table and have open discussions, and I just felt that worked well especially when there were complex issues. We were able to thrash it out and check through files and papers, [because] we had them there.”

DUP Alderman Mark Fielding said in-person meetings were “more relaxed” and encouraged debate among members, and proposed that committee bring back in-person meetings.

“I’m at an advantage as I’m only two miles from the chamber,” he conceded. “But I understand it might be inconvenient for people.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Cara McShane argued that Committees should not be be “forcing councillors to go into the chamber or into whatever committee room”.

Councillor McShane said: “It’s much easier if you do live closer to the headquarters, but just given our huge geographical spread the responsibilities of councillors [would increase] immensely, [so] I would continue with the hybrid format if possible.”

Alderman Knight-McQuillan suggested that Committee continues with online and/or hybrid meetings, but would meet in person if “something fairly controversial that needs a lot of thought or debate” was being discussed.

She added: “I just feel that not everybody’s getting the same opportunity to participate and when you’re all in the one room, when there’s a big issue to be looked at or something that’s sensitive or controversial, we can then all get the opportunity to come in and speak on it.”

Members agreed that decision on in-person or online meetings would be made on a meeting-to-meeting basis.