Politics

Councillor contravened standards with expense claims

Ethics watchdog rules on Donegal politician and expresses concern at scope for abuse

SIPO heard that Pádraig Doherty attended a meeting of Údarás na Gaeltachta in Furbo, Co Galway for which he claimed mileage expenses and overnight expenses despite spending that night in Donegal. Image: Google Street View
SIPO heard that Pádraig Doherty attended a meeting of Údarás na Gaeltachta in Furbo, Co Galway for which he claimed mileage expenses and overnight expenses despite spending that night in Donegal. Image: Google Street View
Dan Griffin
Tue Jun 17 2014 - 16:04

Former Donegal County Councillor Pádraig Doherty contravened ethical standards for local representatives by double claiming expenses for the same events, the Standards in Public Office Commission has found.

The Commission has also expressed its concern to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin over “the scope for abuse” of people making claims to multiple public bodies.

Following an investigation hearing last month, the Commission found Mr Doherty had contravened the Local Government Act, disregarded the code of conduct for councillors and did a “specified act” within the meaning of the Standards in Public Office Act on a number of occasions.

He was found to have claimed travel expenses from both Údarás na Gaeltachta and Donegal County Council for attending the same event, the Association of County and City Councils' Annual Conference 2007.

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In November 2008, he claimed travelling expenses from Donegal County Council for attending the Irish Central Border Area Network Conference in Dundalk, Co Louth. He also claimed travelling and subsistence expenses for attending an Údarás na Gaeltachta meeting in Furbo, Co Galway, the following day.

The Commission found Mr Doherty was not entitled to make separate claims for his journeys from home to Dundalk and then from home to Furbo and that he should have made a claim to Donegal County Council for his journey from home to Dundalk and then made a claim to Údarás na Gaeltachta for journeys from Dundalk to Furbo and from Furbo to his home.

The Commission also found Mr Doherty claimed an overnight subsistence allowance from Údarás na Gaeltachta when he had not actually availed of any accommodation to justify the claim.

The Commission found that each contravention was “committed recklessly and was…a serious matter”. The Commisison also found Mr Doherty did not act in good faith over the contraventions.

Mr Doherty last month admitted to the contraventions and, through his legal representative, apologised to the commission, but said the contraventions were “unintentional” and “inadvertent”.

He lost his seat in the recent local elections. Previously he had been a Fine Gael Councillor for 10 years but was dropped from the party ticket in 2009. “They shafted me,” he said at the time. “I wasn’t prepared to sit back and lick that lollipop.”

Dan Griffin

Dan Griffin

Dan Griffin is an Irish Times journalist