Local Authority: Louth County Council
Issue: Council theft
In 2014, an employee of Dundalk Town Council admitted that he had collected rents from social housing tenants – but instead of lodging the money to the council's account, the employee pocketed the money for himself.
Despite this admission, this employee was spared a court prosecution.
From 2009 to 2013, according to a council investigation, the employee had visited certain tenants in person to collect rents on behalf of Dundalk Town Council. (This council was taken over by Louth County Council in 2014, following the abolition of town councils.)
Things began to unravel for the employee after the council told a tenant that she was behind in her rent. But the tenant said she had not missed her rent payments and ultimately, the council initiated an investigation.
Louth County Council told RTÉ Investigates that in total, the employee "misappropriated" €14,537, involving seven tenancies.
As part of Dundalk Town Council’s investigation, a meeting was held in February 2014, attended by the employee, two trade union officials, and two council officials.
According to the minutes of the meeting, a council official said that the Gardaí had been notified and that, following the council’s investigation, the council "will decide whether to pursue the matter further with the Gardaí".
One union official said that the council’s monitoring system should not have allowed the employee to do what he had done. This official also requested that no further Garda action be taken, given the employee’s decision to co-operate with the council’s investigation. He added that the employee would attempt to pay back the money "in so far as possible".
The union official stated that "previous cases of this nature had been dealt with 'in house’ and that [the employee] should not be treated any differently," the minutes recorded.
Meanwhile, a report completed in March 2014 noted that the employee had destroyed several used receipt books which should have been returned to the council and had also interfered with the council’s computer system in an "attempt to cover up his admitted misconduct."
A memo from a council official that month stated that "The breach of discipline in this case, amounts to gross misconduct as it includes theft, fraud and falsification of records, deliberate damage to Council property (rent receipt books) and bringing Louth Local Authorities into disrepute. The penalty for gross misconduct is dismissal."
The council then fired the employee.
Louth County Council recently told RTÉ Investigates: "The Council notified An Garda Síochána of the potential offences of the employee and informed An Garda Síochána that the organisation would furnish any information should an investigation be commenced."
When asked why the employee was spared a court prosecution, the Council said that this "is entirely a matter for An Garda Síochána".
When asked about this matter, the Garda Press Office told us that: "Following receipt of a report An Garda Síochána carried out a preliminary assessment. No formal complaint was received. Following the completion of a file, the DPP directed No Prosecution in this case."
Meanwhile, the council recently told RTÉ Investigates the employee entered into a repayment plan with the council to repay the money misappropriated. Earlier this month, It said that a balance of €6,627 was owed, adding that the "employee continues to make weekly payments".
