Conflict of interest issue raised at Development Plan meeting

What is a conflict of interest when councillors are discussing land zoning or planning matters?

That was the question posed by an independent councillor when members of Meath County Council were discussing a Draft Development Plan for Co Meath covering the next six years up to 2027.

The 40 councillors have been holding meetings on the plan and several areas of the county, including Navan, Kells, Trim, Ashbourne, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin have been finished. Laytown, Bettystown, Mornington and Donacarney is under discussion at the moment and is expected to be completed next Wednesday and a start will then be made on discussions of land uses in Ratoath area.

Over several weeks of debate, three councillors have declared that they have conflicts of interest, perhaps because they had an existing or former link to a developer or to a person who had a financial interest in zoning or planning issues under discussion in the Development Plan.

Independent Cllr Gillian Toole told the council session last Friday that she was formerly attached to a political party (Fine Gael) and had resigned from that party before the 2019 local elections.

However, it was the case that that former political party held an annual raffle to fundraise for the party, some individuals might donate large sums. She asked whether councillors might have a conflict of interest as a result. She had no conflict herself but she thought it might be relevant in other cases.

The Cathaoirleach Cllr David Gilroy said that declarations of interest were up to each individual member of the council. If they had an interest or a perceived interest in an item under discussion they and they alone had to decide to declare it. They were legally obliged to do so.