Councillor bullied officials - inquiry

AN INQUIRY has upheld allegations of bullying and inappropriate behaviour made against a Sligo councillor by a number of officials.

In their  report,  the two investigators have also called for the establishment of a “Standards Board for Ireland” which would have the power to suspend “errant councillors”.

The councillor at the centre of the probe,  former Labour TD Declan Bree,  rejected the findings against him and described the recommendation that “a board of unelected officials would have the power to suspend, restrict or disqualify elected councillors from office” as outrageous and  repugnant to the concept of  democracy.

A “formal investigation” was established by Sligo county manager Hubert Kearns following a walkout by several officials from a meeting of Sligo Borough Council on November 3rd, 2008.

The walkout followed  criticism by  Mr Bree (Ind) of  a recommendation by officials that €1.3 million of public money be provided to fund a footbridge which was originally to have been constructed by a private developer.

It is understood that the two investigators – Patrick Cahill, of Patrick S Cahill Solicitors, Dublin, and Margaret Considine, of Equita Consulting Limited – upheld the complaints made by three officials while rejecting allegations made by six others.

Mr Bree insisted yesterday that the formal investigation was an attempt to divert public attention from the “scandalous recommendation” that €1.3 million be allocated for the bridge and was “an utter waste of taxpayers’ money”.

In a letter to the county manager yesterday, he said he stood over his comments about the bridge. “I was elected to represent the interests of the people of this community, to speak on their behalf, and I will not be censored or muzzled by you or your formal investigations.”

Three recommendations were made in the report:

The county manager should take all reasonably practical steps for the protection of staff and should arrange the  staff roster to avoid contact between affected staff and Mr Bree;

The Cathaoirleach of Sligo Borough Council and Sligo County Council should be trained to appreciate, detect and enforce the code of conduct for councillors;

An Independent Standards Board for Ireland be established to investigate complaints against councillors. The board should have the power to suspend, restrict or disqualify councillors for prescribed periods.

Mr Bree said that that a cathaoirleach was elected to serve the council “and not to take instructions or orders from non-elected officials”.

He added that the proposed standards board for Ireland comprising a chief executive and non-elected officials who would “police” councillors was something county managers had been looking for, for some time.