Most councillors want hybrid model for council business

Most local authority councillors want to retain a hybrid model for conducting future council business, the Donegal president of a body that represents locally-elected members and local authorities has said. 

A survey by the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), which represents  949 councillors, shows 77% of elected members want a hybrid model for local authority work retained.

The report, The Role of Video Conferencing in Supporting Local Government, found 81% believe a hybrid environment facilitates better family, personal, work or study balance within their role as an elected representative. Just over half of the respondents believe that a hybrid environment will encourage more participation in local government from underrepresented groups including women, under 35's, self-employed, full-time carers, and people with a disability.

President of AILG, Independent Donegal councillor Nicholas Crossan, said that while there is a clear call for a future hybrid model, it is important that a council environment that supports both digital and traditional communication options for engagement is created.

“I sincerely commend our elected councillors and local authority staff on the efforts they took to ensure the continuation of their front-line council work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“The ability to smoothly transition engagements to an online environment using video conferencing has played a significant role in this. Listening to feedback from councillors on their use of video conferencing over the last 18 months evidently demonstrates several positive learnings we can take from this process, including the desire to retain a hybrid model for conducting future council business.

“ It’s positive to see councils demonstrate innovative ways of working, proven by the proactive approach to transitioning online. There is now a realisation among most councillors that a hybrid model facilitates better balance between family, personal, work and/or study life and that it opens opportunities to ensure more diversity and gender balance for our local authorities.”

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