FG Committee to decide whether action will be taken against Cllr Slowey

Fine Gael has confirmed that the party’s Disciplinary Committeeis considering whether or not Donegal Councillor Terence Slowey should be reprimanded for his double expenses claim.
During the same weekend in October 2008, Cllr Terence attended a local authority conference in Cork and a cross border conference in Kerry. However, he submitted two seperate travel expenses claims, and was overpaid almost a thousand euro. When what happened came to light, he immediately repaid the money, acknowledged his mistake and apologised.
However, after he appeared at a Standards in Public Office commission hearing last month, Cllr Slowey’s actions were described as “reckless” in the subsequent  report. He was deemed to have breached ethical guidelines, and the case was described as a serious matter.
The commission has now referred the issue to the Ministers for the Finance and the Environment, and also to Donegal County Council.
Donegal County Council’s April meeting takes place next Tuesday, with the commission’s report up for consideration on the agenda. What format that discussion takes remains to be seen.
Last night, Cllr Slowey appeared before a Fine Gael Disciplinary Committee hearing. In a statement today, the party would only say that the outcome of the meeting is being considered, and decisions will be taken later.