Councillor Claire O’Rourke has called for the council to create a webcast library of meetings on its website, arguing it would strengthen transparency and allow people who cannot watch live - including workers and carers - to follow key decisions.
A push to permanently archive Kildare County Council meetings online is facing resistance over cost, low public interest and potential legal risks.
Councillor Claire O’Rourke has called for the council to create a webcast library of meetings on its website, arguing it would strengthen transparency and allow people who cannot watch live - including workers and carers - to follow key decisions.
But a detailed review by the Protocol and Procedures Committee detailed how the proposal carries a significant price tag with no guarantee of strong public uptake.
Officials say Kildare’s current YouTube livestream already operates at nominal cost and with minimal internal resources, yet live viewing figures remain consistently low - reflecting a wider national trend.
Feedback gathered from 20 local authorities shows a fragmented national picture.
Only six councils currently operate full webcasting systems, while three rely on livestreaming, four provide Teams access on request and seven continue to hold meetings entirely in person.
The committee found that while live audiences are typically small, recorded meetings tend to attract higher engagement after the fact.
However, moving to a full webcast archive would require investment in specialist platforms, with estimated annual costs of between €20,000 and €30,000, along with additional Corporate Services resources to edit, manage and publish footage.
Officials have also highlighted GDPR, storage and governance implications linked to retaining recordings.
Any move to introduce a permanent webcast library would have to be referred back to the Protocol and Procedures Committee for further examination.
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