New website allows public notify council of issues

Got a light broken in your street? Driven over a pothole that made your teeth clench? There's no need to complain to the family any more: now, you can complain directly to the county council, via an online system, fixyourstreet.ie, accessible either independently, or via a link on the council's website. Introduced to councillors at their monthly Westmeath County Council meeting, last Monday, by the council's information technology head, Kevin Monaghan, the site will enable the public to either register queries, inform of problems, view problems that others have identified in their area, or even comment on issues raised by others, or the council's responses to those. And, said Mr Monaghan, the council was undertaking to give an initial response to all contact from the public within just two working days. "The system is mandated in the Programme for Government," he said, adding that it is already in use in the councils at Fingal, Galway, Dublin City, South Dublin, Waterford, Kildare, and now Westmeath, and it will be rolled out to the remaining areas before the end of this year. He added that it was intended for non-emergency issues. Already, he continued, there is an android app, and in testing is an iPhone app, which should be released by the end of the year.