Wexford County Council is to take independent legal advice for members of the council following a Standards in Public Office Commission report that found the council's chief executive had brought his position into disrepute.
"In keeping with that advice, I intend to adjourn all debate on this topic to allow members sufficient time to consider the report," the cathaoirleach of the council, Barbara Anne Murphy, told a meeting on Monday.
Advertising threat
The Sipo investigation and report were sparked after complaints that Tom Enright threatened to pull council advertising from South East Radio because he was unhappy with reporting by the station.
The standards regulator found he had put “pressure on the station by threatening to withdraw funding” and had misused the council’s position “by throwing around the weight” of the council’s purse.
Mr Enright had inappropriately conflated the issues of his dispute with the station over its coverage of the council, and the council's commercial position as the station's primary advertiser, it found.
