County Council welcomes Judge O’donnell’s decision

WICKLOW County Council welcomed Judge Thomas E. O’Donnell’s decision to dismiss a defamation action taken by two elected council members against county manager Eddie Sheehy.

The defamation case centred around the last paragraph in a press statement released by County Manager Eddie Sheehy last year.

That Press Release had included a statement in relation to the Charlesland CPO Review carried out by Seamus Woulfe, Senior Counsel, that which read ‘ the Council notes that the delay in sanctioning the loan to purchase this site (caused by the need to carry out this Independent Review of the unfounded and misconceived allegations of Councillors Cullen, Nevin and O’Shaughnessy) has resulted in a loss to the Council of circa €200,000 in respect of interest foregone and administrative costs. This is in addition to the costs of the Independent Review commissioned by the Minister.’

In a statement released on Friday after Judge O’Donnell’s ruling, the Council says it is ‘ pleased with the outcome of the defamation proceedings taken by Councillors Tommy Cullen and Barry Nevin in Bray Circuit Court against Eddie Sheehy and the Council in relation to a Press Release issued on April 23, 2013.’

It added: ‘ the Council now hopes that Councillors Cullen and Nevin will put these matters behind them.’