Labour complaint against Bree: the jury is still out

By Harry Keaney

THE special committee established by the Labour Party to consider a complaint against Councillor Declan Bree will reconvene in Dublin this Saturday (8th October), at noon.

The complaint relates to Clr. Bree's refusal to apologise for remarks he made as Mayor in the "Sligo Champion" last February when he described as disgraceful a decision of the borough council to vote down the Traveller Accommodation Programme.

A Labour Party meeting in Sligo subsequently adopted a motion calling on Clr. Bree to apologise to Labour colleagues, Cllrs. Veronica Cawley and Councillor Jimmy McGarry for the remarks he had made.

Clr. Bree stated that he had no intention of apologising or withdrawing his remarks.

The complaint against Clr. Bree was lodged by Ms. Peigin Doyle, secretary of the Sligo/Leitrim Constituency of the party.

When the complaints hearing commenced last Wednesday, Clr. Bree requested that the hearing be aborted when it emerged that eight new complaints were being proffered against him in addition to the original complaint that he had refused to apologise for saying the decision to vote down the traveller accommodation programme was disgraceful.

He argued that the new complaints were not made in compliance with Labour Party rules and that the whole process had been compromised. He said that the members of the complaints committee, having been circulated with the new complaints and allegations, could not now act in an impartial manner and he called for the hearing to be aborted

After nearly two hours of technical debate on this issue, the five-man complaints panel decided to adjourn the hearing until this Saturday.

There is also a dispute relating to legal representation at the hearing.

Local Labour sources have told the "Sligo Champion" that when Clr. Bree attended the complaints hearing last week he discovered that the General Secretary of the Party, Mr Mike Allen, had a barrister present to assist him in prosecuting the case. It is understood that Clr. Bree has requested the party to provide him with assistance to engage a barrister, and a decision is still outstanding on this issue.

*Article from this weeks edition of the "Sligo Champion".

*Complaints Hearing takes place at Labour Head Office, 17 Ely Place, Dublin 2. at 12 Noon this Saturday 8th October.