SF slam 'in camera" decision of Trim

The decision to hold a meeting of Trim Town Council 'in camera" (without members of the public and press being allowed to attend) has been strongly criticised by local councillor Caroline Lynch. In a statement issued before the meeting this week, Sinn Fein"s Cllr Lynch said: 'This meeting is to discuss a new playground and a CCTV system for the town. Neither of these issues have 'sensitive" information and therefore should not be conducted in private. 'As local representatives, we have a duty to represent our constituents and also to ensure transparency in the political process. This decision for secretive meetings undermines confidence in politics. 'As politicians, hard decisions have to be made but you need to be able to stand over your decisions and be answerable for them. To try to hide hard decisions in closed meetings is not acceptable and I will be calling for this process to stop.' The Meath Chronicle contacted other Trim Town councillors to find out what they thought about the meeting being held in committee. Cllr Vincent McHugh said: 'I have no problem with it being in committee. I thought it was much better in committee because people aren"t playing to the gallery. And there were no walk-outs.' He said there were a few issues being discussed such as the CCTV and who would monitor it and also there were several sites suggested for the playground. Cllr Phil Cantwell said that he had no problem with the meeting being in committee and said that there are times when it is not possible to have a meeting in public such as if they are discussing commercial, financial or personal information. Cllr Gerard Reilly said there are always times when the councillors have to meet the area manager and officials on their own to discuss issues and that it takes the 'heat out of the debate' and playing for the press out of it. He also said that there are times when people"s names come up and it would not be fair for them to be discussed at the meeting. Cllr Reilly said he had no problem with the meeting being in committee and that Cllr Lynch had seemed very happy with the meeting. Cllr Jimmy Peppard said that, as far as he knew, the meeting had not been in committee but that he had not been at it as he was sick. He added that it would not have made any difference if it was in committee as there are issues that have to be dealt with and that decisions have to be made and he has no problem with that. Cllr Ray Butler, who was also not at the meeting as he was sick, said: ' A meeting was called to discuss several issues that were going on about the town and there was nothing that was never discussed before. 'We wanted to refresh our batteries on what was happening and what was going on. If Cllr Lynch had any problem with this meeting why didn"t she speak up beforehand and not be going to the press?' He said there was nothing underhand and that there were no issues being discussed that had not been discussed before in public but that at times there may be issues that were sensitive. Cllr Robbie Griffith said he had no problem with the meeting being in committee and said everybody had been in favour of it.