By Ursula Duddy
There were fraught exchanges in council following a report vindicating council staff accused by councillors and a local waste management contractor of withholding payment and of preferential treatment.
During last week’s Assurance, Audit and Risk Committee meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council the results of a report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) deemed there was ‘no documentary evidence to support the allegation of improper behaviour’.
The notes were redacted by the NIAO; however, Sinn Féin Councillor Sandra Duffy said she had ‘no problem’ naming those involved as the accusations had already been made in open council.
Cllr Duffy said that ‘spurious allegations’ had been made in council that ’50 people lost their jobs at Brickkiln’. She said that these allegations had been ‘completely unfounded and called into question the conduct and professionalism of council employees’.
Cllr Duffy asked that people would reflect on what they are saying before they bring forward such allegations and that they ‘check facts’.
The allegations made were that council ‘incorrectly withheld payments’ to Brickkiln which ‘led the company being put into administration’. It was also suggested that council officers acted improperly in withholding such payments and that Brickkiln was ‘treated differently from other waste management contractors including the current contractor’.
Reasonable
The NIAO report, which was redacted and referred to Brickkiln as ‘the waste management contractor’, concluded: "The conditions for payment within the contract are considered reasonable. Local Government Audit expect local government bodies to have strong procedures in place to ensure proper evidence is obtained to support payments made.
"On the basis of the documentation I have been provided with from both the waste management contractor and council I am of the view that the allegation is not substantiated."
The statement continued: "I have received no documentary evidence to support the allegation of improper behaviour by any council officer in dealing with the withholding of payments to the waste management contractor. I have received no documentary evidence to support the allegation that the waste management contractor has been treated differently from other waste management contractors including the current contractor."
Cllr Duffy welcomed the ‘very conclusive report’ that gave a ‘complete vindication of council and staff’.
SDLP Councillor Martin Reilly said that the report was ‘explicitly indicating council was not at fault’ and that ‘council officers can take something from this; people have faith in the officers doing their job and this is backed up by the NIAO’s welcome report’.
Alderman Hilary McClintock of the DUP also said that she would like to be associated with Cllr Duffy and Cllr Reilly’s sentiments.
Unafraid
Independent councillor, Paul Gallagher, also said he welcomed the report and said: “We shouldn’t be afraid of investigations, particularly external ones. That’s what we are all about, audit, risk and assurance; some investigations come back with the all clear and others come back with recommendations.
“When issues are raised we have to take them on board; we can’t run away and hide, we have to face them and investigate them and I don’t think anyone who raises these issues should be put down for raising them.”
Cllr Duffy hit back and said 'unfounded' allegations were made in open council in the presence of members of the press: “No one is afraid of investigations but my issue is that issues were raised without any proper homework or investigation being done.
“The allegations were made in a public forum and called into question the professionalism of council staff, I would ask people to reflect on that.”
Independent councillor, Gary Donnelly, retorted: “I agree with Cllr Gallagher, we shouldn’t be afraid of investigations.
“We have had other investigations, internal and external, and 70 recommendations were made yet when it was brought up in council it was ridiculed and slagged off. I didn’t hear any member mention that. You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
Caution
Sinn Féin Councillor, Eric McGinley, who chaired the meeting, intervened and said: “This committee has responsibility for ensuring that the council conducts all its business in a proper manner. Members are entitled to raise issues of concern when sufficient grounds exist to do so.
“What we all must caution against is councillors being party to unfounded allegations against council on behalf of another individual or business.
“Unfortunately, in this instance, we have had members at committee meetings accusing senior council officers of acting improperly and accusing council of being responsible for the loss of jobs at a particular company.
“These accusations and allegations were demonstrated to be without foundation and those members responsible may wish to consider their own positions on this committee.
“For my part – as chairperson of the committee – I want to take this opportunity to extend our support to the council officer whose character and professionalism was called into question and I have asked that these sentiments are conveyed to the individual along with a copy of the Audit Office findings.
“This case, which was not of council’s making, placed a considerable strain on our human resources and disrupted other areas of audit work.”
He added: “It is important that we now draw a firm line under this matter and move forward without any further delay or distraction.”
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