Council will know in April if it will pay costs for defending co-option case

The Council will find out how much it will have to pay, if anything, from defending an unsuccessful challenge taken against it by Councillor Dessie Shiels.
The case surrounded the co-option of Michael McBride onto Donegal County Council.
Independent Councillor Dessie Shiels took a case against the Council over the co-option of Michael McBride onto the council to replace Jimmy Harte.
He claimed Mr McBride was a Labour candidate or nominee and as Mr Harte had been elected as an independent candidate, the co-option was illegal.
The court found that there was no evidence that Mr. McBride was a member or candidate of the Labour Party when he was co-opted.
An appeal by Councilor Shiels against that judgement did not come in for hearing before the term of office of the council expired in June 2014.
Responding to a question from Councillor John O’Donnell that council said that It has been agreed between the parties that the substantive issue in the appeal is moot with the only remaining issue is that of the liability for the council’s costs in defending the case.
That will be determined at a hearing before the Court of Appeal on the 25th of April 2016.