An investigation into allegations that Cllr Michael Crowe failed to comply with his obligations to disclose property interests under the Local Government Act 2011 has found that while the councillor breached the Act he did not do so deliberately.
The Galway City Council undertook an investigation following a complaint lodged with the local authority’s ethics registrar in January, alleging that Cllr Crowe had breached the ethics requirements of sections 171 and 177 of the Act by failing to declare interests under the Rental Accommodation Scheme in 2009.
City manager Joe O’Neill undertook an investigation on foot of that complaint, and in a statement this week Mr O’Neill asserted that while Cllr Crowe had breached the provisions of the Act by failing to declare contacts he held with Galway City Council, he had acted in good faith and no prosecution was warranted. He said that, following communication with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter, he did not intend to initiate legal proceedings against the councillor.
Meanwhile Cllr Crowe has been advised to seek the advice of the ethics registrar in relation to any contracts or business contacts he has with the council, in advance of making any future declarations, in order to ensure full compliance with the ethics provision.
Cllr Crowe said this week that the omission had been a error on his part, and that the information had been included in his statements of interest every year since 2009. He said he was glad with the outcome of the investigation, which had found that his integrity is intact.
