SIPO members considering Larkin’s response to claims of ethics legislation breaches

The Standards in Public Office Commission hearing into claims that former Donegal Councillor Dessie Larkin breached ethics legislation in 2006 has been adjourned.
The members of the commission will now consider Mr Larkin’s response to the allegations before issuing their findings.
Mr Larkin, who is now employed as the Letterkenny Town Manager faces nine allegations of breaches of ethics legislation, including one for allegedly receiving expenses for attending two different events on the same date.
Mr Larkin is also facing allegations of claiming expenses for a conference he did not attend and for failing to base an expense claim on the shortest route available to a conference venue.
Duriong the hearing, a sworn affidavit from Mr Larkin was read in which he said he never received training in ethics obligations during his 13 years as a councillor. His counsel, Sean Ó Longáin, said their primary submission is that Mr Larkin was not given the code of conduct by the Ethics Registrar of Donegal County Council as required by law for the period 2005 and 2006 and all the nine allegations derived from this.
The hearing has now been adjourned.