PRESS RELEASE
3rd May 1999
Green Party candidate for Crumlin-Kimmage John Goodwillie has called for greater transparency by Dublin Corporation. "It should not be necessary for people to travel to the Corporation head ofices to find out information," he said. "With modern technology information should be available anywhere. Every Corporation office dealing with the public, and every public library, should have staff trained to assist people. The Citizens' Information Centres should also be invited to come in on this scheme.
"Much of the information which is needed could be provided over the Internet. The Corporation has a web-site which gives a considerable amount of information. But it doesn't, for example, explain how you would acquire points for housing. It doesn't say how many people are on the housing list. It announces that 140 kilometres of cycle lanes are proposed, but it doesn't reveal where they are. It doesn't provide a list of planning applications."
Most of this information is probably available on the Corporation's own computers, John Goodwillie pointed out. "But a programme is needed to make the Corporation's files accessible from its web-site", he continued. "And since only a fraction of the population has access to the Internet, it is necessary for there to be access points where people can use the Internet themselves or ask trained staff for the information they need."
The Corporation needs to be more open to the people to whom it is responsible, John Goodwillie stated.