‘Truth about the €750k’
Madam Editor,
When Sligo County Council was on the verge of economic collapse in 2014 it appealed to the Department of Local Government for help. Following discussion the Department agreed to provide bailout funding of €1 million per year conditional on a realistic financial plan being agreed between the Department and the Council before the end of 2014. The Department actually made an up front payment of €250,000 in advance of the plan being submitted. However when the Council management failed to adhere to the conditions and failed to submit the financial plan by the end of 2014 the Minister withdrew the balance of €750,000.
A delegation from the Council which included the Cathaoirleach and the Chief Executive, visited Dublin on 3rd February 2015 and the Minister told them in no uncertain terms that the €750,000 was withdrawn. He did however also state that a €1 million bailout grant would be provided to the Council each year from 2015 conditional on targets being met. Cllr Bree was critical of the management for failing to submit the plan in time. Later in February Mr Paul Lemass, an Assistant Secretary from the Department met with the Chief Executive and Council management in Sligo.
On the 12th of June 2015 a delegation of councillors met with Mr Lemass in Sligo (in an unprecedented move the elected members of the Council decided to exclude the Chief Executive or any of his officials from the meeting). Three days later on the 15 th of June a Special Meeting of the Council was held to consider the meeting with Mr Lemass. The minutes of that meeting confirm that then Cathaoirleach Cllr Joe Queenan clarified that the €750,000 from 2014 was no longer available. The minutes also confirm that the Chief Executive and Council management team attended the Special meeting and did not mention any commitment from Mr Lemass.
In late 2017 when the Chief Executive claimed that Mr Lemass had given a commitment to remit the previously withdrawn €750,000 Cllr Bree sought clarification as to when the commitment was made and to whom.
At the December 2017 meeting Cllr Bree tabled a motion which received the unanimous backing of the Council, asking the Chief Executive the date, venue and officials who were present when the commitment was given by Mr Lemass. The official minutes of the meeting will confirm that in response the Chief Executive said that the commitment was given at a meeting on the 7 th of September 2016, and that the Secretary General of the Department and Mr Pat Gallagher of the City and County Managers Association had attended the meeting in addition to himself and Mr Lemass. Long experience has taught Cllr Bree to question everything and so he requested his colleague Clare Daly T.D. to submit a Parliamentary Question on the issue to the Minister. He also wrote directly to Mr Lemass to advise him of the Chief Executive’s claims. Within days Cllr Bree received a reply from Mr Lemass in which he (Lemass) said no commitment to remit the €750,000 was given to the Chief Executive at the meeting of the 7 th of September 2016.
In reply to Clare Daly T.D in the Dáil the Minister said the withdrawal of the €750,000 was formally confirmed to the Council by the then Minister in the meeting with officials and councillors on 3rd February 2015 and he said no commitment to remit the €750,000 was subsequently given either at the meeting of 7 th September 2016 or in the intervening period. However at the last meeting of the Council when the matter was raised the Chief Executive claimed that Mr Lemass had given him the commitment at a meeting back in February 2015 when the Council management was present. He also launched an attack on Cllr Bree claiming he was manipulating the media which was leading to negative publicity for the Council management. The management team in a chorus supported the Chief Executive and joined with him in criticising Cllr Bree. Obviously people will make up their own minds in regard to the statements made by the Minister and Mr Lemass and the claims made by Mr Hayes. However it is certainly unacceptable for a Council Chief Executive to attack an elected representative of the people of this community because he asks legitimate questions and because he highlights shortcomings and seeks accountability.
Cllr Bree was not responsible for Sligo losing out on the €750,000. Mr Lemass was not responsible for Sligo losing out on the €750,000 Sligo lost out on the €750,000 because the Council management failed to adhere to the bailout conditions to submit the financial plan by the end of 2014.
No amount of finger pointing and accusations and distraction can hide that truth.
Yours Etc Brenda Barr Rose Hill, Sligo