City Council meetings to move online because of Covid threat

Galway City Councillors voted to move all Development Plan and Ordinary Council meetings online for the remainder of January at least, while the highly transmissible omicron variant of Covid-19 remains rampant.

The move to virtual meetings – which excludes the public from attending – comes as two city councillors confirmed they were struck down with the virus.

Cllr Declan McDonnell (Ind) told Monday’s meeting, held as a hybrid – in person at Galmont Hotel and via zoom – that he had caught Covid-19. Ironically, Cllr McDonnell was arguing in favour of in-person meetings.

“If I hadn’t Covid, I’d be present today,” said Cllr McDonnell, via video link.

He said City Development Plan meetings were ‘so important’ they should not be held remotely. He said that it was necessary to see people’s reactions during decision making, and he voted against moving meetings entirely online.

Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) then revealed that two Galway County Councillors had contracted Covid-19 but, because they only had mild symptoms, they were able to continue to attend virtual meetings of the County Development Plan.

Cllr Mike Cubbard (Ind) told the Galway City Tribune that he too had contracted Covid-19. He said he got a booster jab on a Monday, and then had Covid the following day.

Cllr Cubbard said he had a chesty cough and was ‘absolutely wrecked’ but symptoms only lasted three or four days. His period of isolation was nearing an end this week, he said.

As well as Cllr McDonnell, Fianna Fáil members of the Council argued against online-only meetings.

Cllr John Connolly (FF), a school teacher, said he had first-hand experience of the impacts of Covid. But he said schools were open, hospitality was open, albeit with earlier closing times, and the Dáil and Seanad was reopening next week – there was no reason to move Council meetings online, he said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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