The Council has approved new regulations relating to the use of computers and internet by public employees during working hours.
In November 2011, the Council was ordered to repay the €600 it had docked from the wages of a Local Police officer who was found to be using the internet during working hours for ‘purely personal’ reasons. The officer concerned was also suspended for nine days.
The Court ruled that the municipal authority could not adopt the regional decree regulating such issues but must adopt its own regulations, even though these would be, in essence, exactly the same text. Therefore, having taken legal advice, the Council has approved its own regulations and these will come into effect immediately for the 350 municipal employees.
The internet may now only be used for professional matters and never for the purpose of entertainment.