Crowe denies double standards

COUNCILLOR Michael Crowe has dismissed suggestions that he had no right to question the expenses claimed by a fellow councillor when there was a cloud over his own.

A report in the Mail on Sunday newspaper revealed that Cllr Crowe (FF) had claimed €410 in expenses for attending a conference of LAMA, the Local Authority Members Association in Mayo from November 25 to 27 last year. His claim form stated he returned home at 6pm on November 27.

However, he claimed he left his house for another conference in Clare at 2pm on November 27, for which he claimed €551.

“I made a mistake by three or four hours. I would have got an overnight allowance anyway, I wouldn’t have got any more money by saying I left at 6pm instead of 2pm, so it was of no benefit to me,” Cllr Crowe said.

Cllr Crowe made a formal complaint about the more than €4,000 in mileage expenses claimed by Cllr Billy Cameron for driving to conferences in 2007 and 2008. He has asked the City Manager Joe Mac- Grath to investigate the legitimacy of the claims.

Cllr Cameron did not own a car or have a driving licence when he claimed the mileage money – he cited a Hyundai car on his expenses’ claim forms. It later emerged that the car in question did not have an up-to-date road tax disc or a current NCT.

Cllr Crowe said he expects a formal reply from Mr MacGrath this week and he will await the outcome of that enquiry before he decides whether he will take any further action.

Asked if this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, Cllr Crowe said the two issues were not the same.

“I made a mistake on a form, I accrued no benefit from it, it made no difference to me. Cllr Cameron’s issue involves €4,000. It’s interesting this has come up now. This seems to be the only thing somebody could find, it’s interesting this has raised its head now.”

Cllr Cameron remarked to the Galway City Tribune: “Anybody can make a mistake as regards time, but I won’t be dancing on Cllr Crowe’s grave.”

For more see page 2 of this week’s City Tribune