Donegal councillor who double claimed expenses to receive gratuity payment

A former Donegal councillor who double claimed expenses received a parachute payment of over €48,000 after failing to get re-elected.
It was revealed on Friday that five former Donegal Cllrs are to receive almost €200,000 in gratuity payments.
Last week it was revealed that David Alcorn, Padriag O Doherty and John Boyle will all receive around €48,000, Noel McBride who will receive around €33,000 and Mickey Doherty will get €16,000.
One of those five, Padraig Doherty was criticised earlier this year by the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) after he was found to have claimed expenses from different bodies for attending the same event.
However, this has not stopped him from being eligible for a parachute payment – known as a retirement gratuity – after losing his seat on Donegal County Council in the local elections.
He was investigated over complaints about expenses he claimed in 2007 and 2008.
SIPO found he did not act in good faith. In one instance he lodged expenses claims with two different bodies, his council and Udaras na Gaeltachta, for attending a conference.
As a result he received over €1,000 in additional expenses he was not entitled to. Mr Doherty claimed the breaches were “unintentional” and “inadvertent”.