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Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Government 'going backwards' as 42 bodies not covered by ethics legislation
The Government has been accused of "going backwards" after it was revealed that 42 public bodies are not covered by ethics legislation more than two years after a review into the issue. An update of the ethics in public office legislation was promised in the programme for government in 2020 but while a review was completed in December 2022, a bill has not been brought forward. Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said the Government has no interest in undertaking reforms to strengthen legislation and has instead been giving it the "run-around" for years. In 2023, the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) identified 42 public bodies that are outside of its remit, as regulations have not been updated since 2018. "Why on earth would you want some public bodies to be covered by ethics legislation and then have 42 other ones not to be? It just does not make sense," said Mr O'Callaghan. "It is setting themselves up for trouble and will cause hassle down the road. Something is going to go wrong; there is going to be a scandal in one of those 42 bodies and the Opposition are going to be on the record hammering them on why they aren't doing this. Mr O'Callaghan noted that then-minister for public expenditure Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil last year that "we are nearly done in respect of the drafting of the heads of the Bill and I hope to be in a position to bring that to Government shortly". He said the Government appears to be going backwards as the current minister, Jack Chambers, is now saying there is more work to be done and more consideration to be given. "The review by his department was concluded more than two years ago. Some of these issues have been going on for years," said Mr O'Callaghan. "How can the minister stand over that? Will he not deal with this urgently? And how is it that he is way behind where his colleague, Deputy Donohoe, was a year ago?" Jack Chambers said it is not possible at this stage to provide a specific date for publication of the scheme. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Mr Chambers said he is committed to bringing forward a general scheme but it is a complex area and there are broader operational and policy considerations to explore. "My ultimate goal is to create a fit-for-purpose and easy-to-understand ethical framework that contributes to the quality, efficacy, and transparency of our system and positively builds on the strength of our existing framework," said Mr Chambers. He said that the respective policy considerations and decision points need to be made but it is not possible at this stage to provide a specific date for when the scheme might be published. However, Mr O'Callaghan said the legislation is clearly not a priority for the Government. "Every single year, it feels like at a ministerial level and also at a department level, they are not bothered about it. It just is not a priority for them at all." Mr Chambers is the third minister for public expenditure involved since the review was first announced by Michael McGrath in 2021. At the time, Mr McGrath said he intended to bring forward proposals for legislative reform in 2022. Read More Motorcyclist dies weeks after crash that killed Garda Kevin Flatley
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Independent Ireland TD appears before SIPO over 2021 Red FM interview
Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn has appeared before the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) following comments he made on local radio during a discussion of the Spring Lane, Ellis's Yard halting site at Ballyvolane, Co Cork. His barrister, Brian Leahy, sought to have the investigation by the ethics watchdog ended, citing a number of grounds including freedom of expression and the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr O'Flynn did not intend to offend or hurt anybody and regrets if anybody was hurt, Mr Leahy said, noting that his client is a "married gay man". Following the preliminary hearing, SIPO will deliberate and decide whether or not a full investigation into Mr O'Flynn's conduct will proceed. Conor Feeney, BL, legal representative for SIPO, said that the commission "is empowered" to reconsider its decision to investigate the matter, which relates to alleged breaches of the Local Government Act (2001) and the Standards in Public Office Act (2001) when Mr Flynn was a councillor. Mr O'Flynn was elected to the Dáil in Cork North-Central at the last general election. Mr Feeney said that during an interview on 16 June, 2021 with Red FM, Mr O'Flynn is said to have made "inaccurate and misleading" statements which are "indicative of a biased view of members of the Travellers community". On his Facebook account, Mr O'Flynn is also said to have published statements demonstrating a biased view of members of the Travellers community, Mr Feeney said. He also allegedly failed to monitor and remove remarks of an "inflammatory and derogatory nature" and endorsed other comments using the "like" feature, Mr Feeney added. These alleged breaches "collectively amount to a specificed act" under Section 4 of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001, Mr Feeney said. Representing Mr O'Flynn, Brain Leahy BL said that the preliminary application to have the matter dismissed was brought on a number of grounds. These include an alleged discrepancy between the transcript and audio recording of the Red FM interview, where remarks attributed to Mr O Flynn - Mr Leahy said - were not in fact made by Mr O'Flynn. SIPO will listen to the full recording of the interview during its deliberations, Mr Feeney noted. Mr Leahy also said that the interview was not an official duty, and Mr O'Flynn was not carrying out functions as a member of local authority when conducting it. "He wasn't instructed by the mayor to go onto Red FM," Mr Leahy said, but answering questions from SIPO members later acknowledged that differentiating between official and unofficial functions is "nuanced". Mr Leahy said that the "cherry-picking of his social media posts" is "not a fair reflection of [Mr O'Flynn's] attitude to the Traveller community". It is "merely a sample" of those comments. Deputy O'Flynn has had "half a million interactions" on Facebook since setting up his political account, his lawyer said. Mr Leahy also said that Mr O'Flynn is protected under freedom of expression, and the European Convention on Human Rights. While "not a free speech absolutist", Mr Leahy warned against a situation where "we are constantly looking over our shoulders" and afraid to make certain comments. He acknowledged the possibility of "stepping on peoples' toes". He said Mr O'Flynn understands the difficulty of people being insulted, but "this is the joys of living in the modern world of social media". "He doesn't want to offend anybody for the sake of offence," Mr Leahy added. "He doesn't believe that he has been offensive," but wants to solve problems, the lawyer said. The Red FM discussion was "an interview about housing and housing problems". But if Mr O'Flynn has been offensive, "he didn't mean it," Mr Leahy said. Mr Leahy said that he intends to seek costs if he is successful in today's application. He also told the commission that he "had to use UK law to deal with this", as "there doesn't seem to be anything" from the courts "on this question yet in this jurisdiction".
The Journal
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Public ethics watchdog to investigate comments made by Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn
INDEPENDENT IRELAND TD Ken O'Flynn is facing an ethics investigation over comments he made during a 2021 radio interview about a Traveller halting site in Cork. The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) confirmed this week that it will examine whether remarks that O'Flynn made while serving as a Cork City councillor broke rules set out in the Local Government Act or the councillors' Code of Conduct. The interview, which aired on Cork's RedFM four years ago, focused on the Spring Lane halting site in Ballyvolane. A complaint was later lodged about O'Flynn's comments during the interview, and SIPO is now preparing to hold a preliminary hearing with his legal team on Monday. O'Flynn, who was elected to the Dáil in 2020 and joined Independent Ireland in 2024, has rejected the allegations. Advertisement Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Colm Ó Mongáin show, he said: 'I stand over everything I've said.' He added that part of the complaint concerns his social media activity. 'I think I had about half a million engagements on Facebook, and I think there's only six that the complaint is about,' O'Flynn said. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) previously criticised the 2021 radio segment, saying it lacked balance and had the effect of stigmatising residents of the halting site. However, an earlier complaint to Cork City Council's ethics registrar was dismissed. O'Flynn was also one of only three councillors to vote against an €18 million Traveller accommodation upgrade for the Spring Lane site in 2024. The outcome of the SIPO hearing will determine whether a full investigation into his conduct will follow. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
