Northern Ireland councillors could be forced to attend meetings in person if Stormont is not back up and running by November 5.
Local authority rep’s have been able to attend ‘hybrid’ meetings remotely, but the clock is ticking on the time left for the Assembly to rubber stamp an extension of the powers that allow councillors to participate in meetings via video-links.
In a letter dated September 26, seen by the Local Democracy Service, council chief executives have been told by the Department for Communities (DfC) that remote attendance has been extended for six months to March 24, 2023. However, the extension must now be approved by the Assembly by November 5 for it to remain in place until March.
