Media ban reflects ‘Yes Minister' approach to community safety partnerships, says NUJ
The NUJ has called on Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s minister for justice, home affairs and migration, to urgently amend the guidelines published for the recently established Local Community Safety Partnerships, which allow the new local committees to meet in secret.
The guidelines published last week make media attendance discretionary and recommend that in the first year of the new structure three of the six scheduled meetings of the 36 partnerships should be held in private.
When launching the Local Community Safety Partnerships earlier this year O’Callaghan said the new structures, which replace the Joint Policing Committees, would operate “transparently and efficiently,” describing the Partnership as “a much more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven approach to community safety.”
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, has written to O’Callaghan requesting an urgent amendment to the guidelines, describing them as being “in complete conflict with the principles outlined by the Minister and directly contrary to media policies being supported by the government.”
Dooley said:
“Secrecy was for many years the hallmark of local government in Ireland. It beggars belief that an initiative hailed as ‘a fresh approach’ should seek to restrict media access to such a vital community forum, allegedly in the name of developing trust among the partnership members.
“This is not a fresh approach but is instead a return to an old fashioned ‘Yes Minister’ view of public administration favoured by Jim Hacker rather than the open approach promised by Minister O’Callaghan.
“Joint Policing Committees were open to the media. The new committees involve public bodies such as the Health Service Executive, the child and family agency Tusla and local authorities, and have a much broader remit. For this reason the NUJ believes the discretion allowed to committees to exclude the media is of particular concern.
“There should be a presumption that meetings will be held in public. If there needs to be a private session to discuss matters of particular sensitivity standing orders could allow this, as happens at local authority and Oireachtas committees.
“The relevant section of the Guidelines, 10.4, only allows for the possibility of media attendance and makes provision for the publication of a subsequent agreed report of the private proceedings. It is difficult to see how this level of secrecy can be justified."
Recommendation 10.4. of the guidelines states: "Media Attendance Local Community Safety Partnerships may facilitate attendance by the media at their discretion and via request to the chair. In the first year of the partnership, to allow for relationships and trust to develop, and as the Safety Partnership is developing its workplan, consideration should be given to limiting media attendance to public meeting(s) This approach to be reviewed as the partnership’s work evolves. At this point the Safety Partnership may also consider achieving a balance whereby three meetings allow media attendance whilst three are held in private. Transparency and accountability to the general public and media are an important factor of the Safety Partnership’s work. As per section 9.6 an agreed report of a closed meeting must be made available. Safety Partnerships could consider, as part of their communication strategy, sharing such reports directly with local media."
Dooley pointed to the contradiction in the approach of government to local democracy:
“The irony is that this government, through Coimisiún na Meán, is providing very welcome funding for coverage through Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Coverage of local government is vital in a healthy democracy and these schemes recognise the value of transparency in public administration. The NUJ was instrumental in seeking such assistance and has long been concerned at the failure of some media organisations to devote resources to local and regional government. Ironically this issue was highlighted in The Journal by a reporter supported by the local democracy scheme."