EXCLUSIVE: Councillor refunds double expense claim
A Fine Gael Donegal County Councillor has admitted claiming expenses for two conferences he attended in Cork and Kerry over the same weekend in October 2009.
Following an investigation by the Donegal Democrat which found that Cllr Terence Slowey had claimed expenses from Donegal to two conferences down the country over the weekend of October 16th -18th, he said last evening that he regretted his actions, adding that he had "made a mistake".
Documentation obtained by the Donegal Democrat confirms that Councillor Terence Slowey attended the Third Sector Forum, Finance Conference in Killarney from 16th -18th of October and the Border Regional Authority (BRA) confirmed that Cllr. Slowey attended the Association of Irish Regions on October 17 in Clonakilty, Cork.
The councillor claimed expenses for both conferences and yesterday evening acknowledged this when he spoke to this newspaper.
Cllr. Slowey who admitted to claiming expenses for both conferences said: "I don't think that it was ethical to do that. I did it but once
I realised that there was a mistake and I shouldn't have done it then I immediately refunded the expenses for travelling to Border Regional Authority (milage, subsistance and conference fee). I thought that was the best thing that I could have done, otherwise you could be accused of double claiming. I regret the mistake. I put my hands up."
He explained that he attended the conference in Killarney and was then "mandated by the BRA to attend the conference in Clonakilty." He received an e-mail on Monday from the Border Regional Authority following a meeting in Lifford. "Then I went and I spoke to the Donegal County Council yesterday (Tuesday) and I spoke also to the Border Regional Authority and I realised I made a mistake. I mean all you can do when you make a mistake is to try and rectify the mistake. And, as soon as I found out I done that."
An e-mail to this newspaper yesterday morning, following our enquiry, confirmed that Cllr. Terence Slowey paid back in full all expenses that had been paid to him in respect of attendance at the Association of Irish Regions Conference on 17th October, 2008 in Clonakilty, Co. Cork as a nominee of the Border Regional Authority.
Yesterday morning the BRA received the cheque from Cllr. Slowey. The correspondence to this newspaper reads: "I wish to confirm that a cheque covering all expenses paid was received from Cllr. Slowey today, 20th January, 2010."
Cllr. Slowey received expenses of €1,270.99 from Donegal County Council, of which €713.56 were paid for travel, €322.43 were paid for subsistence and a fee of €235 was paid for attending the Third Sector Forum on 16 -18 October.
Following a query, a spokesperson for the BRA confirmed that expenses of €1,133.87 had been paid to Cllr. Slowey in respect of his attendance at the Association of Irish Regions on October 17.
The councillor received a total of €2,404.86 for attending two conferences within a three day period.
The correspondence from Rosie Smith at the BRA reads: "I refer to previous correspondence and I now wish to inform you that Cllr. Terence Slowey has refunded in total, the travel and subsistence paid to him in respect of attendance at the Association of Irish Regions Conference on 17th October, 2008 in Clonakilty, Co. Cork as a nominee of the Border Regional Authority.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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