Kerry councillors before public ethics hearing

The Standards in Public Office Commission will today hold a public investigation into alleged ethics breaches by the mayor of Killarney and a fellow town councillor in land rezoning.

Fine Gael's Mayor Sheila Casey and Fianna Fáil's Cllr Pat O'Donoghue will be questioned at a hearing at 10.30am in the commission's Leeson Street offices.

Cllr Casey voted for the controversial rezoning motion when it came before Killarney Town Council in March 2006, while Cllr O'Donoghue helped to draft the motion, but did not vote for it, declaring an interest.

Cllr Casey is an employee of the Gleneagle Hotels group, while Cllr O'Donoghue is a director of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland and managing director of the Gleneagle Hotel group.

The hearing today, to be led by the chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission, former High Court judge, Mathew P Smith, is being held under the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001, and Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Barrister Frank Callinan will represent Cllr Casey while Henry Downing will appear for Cllr O'Donoghue. Maurice Collins will act for the commission in the half-day hearing.

So far, it is unclear if any witnesses will be called. Papers have been exchanged between the councillors' legal teams and the commission over several months. A decision will be made "expeditiously", the commission said yesterday. It can only make a finding on whether breaches took place. The imposition of penalties is a matter for the Minister for Finance and Kerry County Council.