Cork Corporation has been asked to provide information on the activities of two officials who were disciplined following their private involvement in 17 planning applications. One official was suspended without pay for five days and the other was asked to sign an undertaking on his future conduct after some 1,000 planning applications processed by the planning department last year were examined. It was found that the officials in question had helped to prepare 17 applications.
In a letter to Mr Joe Gavin, the Cork city manager, Mr Dan Boyle of the Green Party asked about the scale of the activity and whether the officials were running a private business on the side. In particular, Mr Boyle asked if money changed hands and, if so, how much.
"If, as it appears, the officials concerned were lower grade officers, are you satisfied that the investigation looked at all grades of officials or whether some positions or grades were deemed not applicable or were exempted from investigation?" his letter asked. "Given low levels of pay at lower grades in local government, it is understandable, if not acceptable, that the temptation to engage in extra-curricular activities exists."
Members of Cork Corporation were made aware of the position of the officials at a meeting on Monday. In his letter, Mr Boyle suggests that city management should extend its investigation into planning irregularities over a longer period "so that the true extent of these practices can be identified and acted upon".
He said yesterday he was awaiting Mr Gavin's reply.