Audit Office probe proposal over council’s attendance at Paisley-hosted dinner defeated

Coast Road councillor Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna requested the meeting “in light of the Electoral Commission findings that a dinner attended by council officers and representatives in September 2017 was a party political fundraiser.

Speaking after the meeting, she said that she also wanted to ensure that this “debacle does not happen again”.

Ald Mulvenna also stated that the council had “failed to answer legitimate questions” but welcomed an undertaking by Chief Executive Anne Donaghy to provide answers.

“If the council was not aware and it was an agri-food business dinner, then the council, chief executive and officers will be exonerated,” she said

Alliance councillors said that they were “disappointed” by the vote which saw 18  votes against the proposal and eight abstentions with Sinn Fein and an Ulster Unionist saying they would like questions answered.

Chief Executive Anne Donaghy told the meeting that she would come back with answers to all the questions in writing.

Alliance is demanding to know how the invitations were made, who was invited and if the council did not suspect it was a fundraiser and the party is now awaiting the council chief’s responses.

The request for the meeting was supported by TUV, Ulster Unionist, Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors.

Last month, Mr Paisley was fined £1,300 for failing to return donations from “impermissible donors” within 30 days. The penalty must be paid by October 8.

The guest speaker at the dinner at Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena, which was said to have been organised by North Antrim Business and Community Group, was Conservative MP Michael Gove.

Commenting on the Electoral Commission findings, the DUP said: “This event was not organised by the party but by Ian in his capacity as Member of Parliament for North Antrim and the associated donations were received on that basis.

“Mr Paisley co-operated fully with the investigation and, while acting in good faith, he accepts the outcome of the report.”

 In a statement issued after the meeting, Alliance Cllr Patricia O’Lynn said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council “made repeated attempts to block councillors asking key questions regarding the Council’s appearance at a fundraising dinner for Ian Paisley MP.

Cllr O’Lynn also said DUP councillors had questions to answer, after voting against an Audit Office investigation and against reinstating a cap on the Council’s expenditure for corporate events.

She said that the meeting  was an attempt to gain clarity and transparency for ratepayers across the borough.

“It only happened after repeated attempts by the Council to block it – from delaying tactics to changing the timing of the meeting, and from attempts to misdirect reasons for the meeting,” she claimed.

“We are extremely disappointed that rather than answer legitimate and key questions, the Council and DUP closed ranks, not allowing a full and open debate on behalf of the public, who rightly want to know the Council’s role in a political fundraiser.

“The message coming out of today’s meeting – and indeed this entire episode – is the DUP and Mid and East Antrim Council do not think openness and transparency is an important enough issue to debate.”

Meanwhile, DUP leader on council Cllr Gregg McKeen has claimed that today’s meeting will cost ratepayers around £5,000.

He stated: “This matter has been subject to extensive scrutiny, including Freedom of Information requests and much more.

“The council’s actions were examined by the Audit Office who are satisfied and the matter is considered closed.”

The subject was also raised at a meeting of the borough council on Monday night when Bannside TUV Cllr Timothy Gaston tabled a question asking: ‘In view of the serious findings against the Member of Parliament for North Antrim by the Electoral Commission, can the Chief Financial Officer confirm if she was misled by Mr Paisley as she did not mention it was a political fundraiser in the verbal report she gave to elected members on August 8, 2017 or, alternatively, does she accept that she misled the chamber in not disclosing it was a fundraising dinner?’

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Gaston said: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Two years since the event we  now have had Audit Office recommendations. We have also had serious findings from the Electoral Commission.

“It is obvious somebody had to mislead someone. That either rests with the North Antrim MP or Chief Financial Officer.”

Mayor Councillor Peter Johnston replied: “I’m content the question has been answered. I am going to move on.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter.

Read earlier story on the subject here

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