Council working on .ie protocal for Kildare towns

The use of town .ie domain names by local community groups in Kildare for the promotion of tourism and industry may be a step closer in the next couple of weeks, writes Brian Byrne.

In response to a query by Cllr Ivan Keatley in relation to the use of Kilcullen.ie, Kildare County Council says its IT Department and the Kildare Community Network are working together on a protocol to enable such use.

The Council says the protocol 'will expand on' the current position adopted in 2000 that the council retains ownership and overall responsibility for .ie domains.

The current situation arose because of a perceived need to protect the town names from potential current or future inappropriate use as a result of conflicting views among community groups, commercial hijacking or as a result of changes in board memberships. The Council says also that the need to maintain political neutrality and to avoid the potential for libellous content on such sites is paramount.

Cllr Keatley was told the revised protocol is scheduled for completion in the next 2-3 weeks.

A sub-group of Kilcullen 2017 has requested the use of Kilcullen.ie for a portal being developed to promote Kilcullen to the outside internet world, with a view to encouraging tourism and business growth in the town.