Cllr Jim Swift supported the view that all committees should be Web Cast and cast doubt on Cllr Irelands claims.

He said "I found it interesting that Cllr Ireland said we were ahead of other councils, I think being ahead does not stop us going further ahead, frankly".

He also said a lot that shot all of Cllr Irelands views down in flames.

As for Cllr Miller, well he is up next................................

Stewart Miller -

"Contrary to what has been said earlier on, there is a cost to officers time to this. Perhaps the Councillors concerned would have been better advised bringing that to the Budget setting meeting where they could have told us and the residents which service they would propose to cut or alternatively which service they propose to increase charges to meet these costs"

There are no costs involved in broadcasting via Social Media

There is no cost for officers time, no officers are required

"Prior to social media kicking off on this a dew months ago I asked for the viewing figures for May, and I got them Barbara, and the figures for May was, there was 72 individual viewers and a 111 viewers. Out of a population of 90,000 that's not a great deal"

FOI just in from Eamonn Daly - Viewing figures for the May 2018 meeting.

Live views 13
Archive views 115
Total views 128

The Cllr appears to think that quoting 'Limited' figures would assist his argument.

However we are of the opinion that quoting the correct figures for May 2018 would have been much more helpful, as would have quoting ALL figures for 2018.

"Can I also point out that the last Council meeting lasted 2 1/2 hours, if we take an average of 2 hours, assuming we don't always get the rants we did the last time, that would take up to 12 hours"

"If you were to add the Cabinet meetings and I don't know if the proposer and seconder of this motion are aware of how many Cabinet meetings there are, to save them time in looking it up there are 23 scheduled Cabinet meetings for next year and we can assume about an hour then that is more than 30 hours used up already"

"If either gentlemen attended any of the meetings to which they refer they would see for themselves there is plenty of room in the public gallery.........."

Given Mr Millers propensity to make apparently continuous disparaging comments, should there really be any surprise that he has earned himself the name GRUMPY Miller.

These are the accurate figures in relation to viewing throughout 2018.

If you look at all the figures, not just an inaccurate set from May 2018, you will see that the vast majority view archived footage. Which would donate that most are not in a position to view at 7 pm on the evening, but are interested enough to view later.

The viewing figures are increasing vastly from the start of the year, why?

We would have to suggest that residents are becoming aware that there is such a facility.

Grumpy Miller said not a lot of people come to the council and sit in the public gallery.

The meeting he was talking at had over 150 people who wanted to observe, ERC only permit 27 to do so.

If only one resident wants to observe democracy in action, should Cllrs deny him / her that facility?

ERC do not advertise that these meetings are available on Web Cast.

It is only social media sites such as this one and others than have recently sprung up, advertising this facility that has increased those viewers.

These figures would increase even more if ERC actually promoted their own Web Cast on their own social media, Facebook and Twitter.

We have previously published a copy email conversation between two council officers that appeared to indicate that there was a deliberate policy of not promoting the Web Cast to the public via their social media accounts.

ERC currently put archived Web Cast meetings onto the ERC You Tube page.