War of words following chaotic council meeting

A Donegal county councillor has criticised the content of a video released on social media during Monday's fractious Donegal County Council meeting.

The meeting was adjourned six times and eventually postponed until Monday, February 7, following the suspension of Cllr Frank McBrearty (Independent) for one month.

Cllr Terry Crossan (Sinn Féin) said he had become aware of the video, in which mica redress campaigner Paddy Diver described the councillors as “fighting like a crowd of schoolboys”, late last night.

Referring to the meeting itself, Cllr Crossan added Sinn Féin was not going to tolerate Cllr McBrearty's disruptive behaviour any more and if it began again, Sinn Féin was going to go through the same process again and again.

“If Cllr McBrearty is sanctioned again, he will be suspended for six months. We are definitely not going to stand back and take any more abuse from him.

“Frank McBrearty has disrupted meeting after meeting. He has spewed a whole range of vitriolic remarks to members.”
Cllr Crossan added that if councillors have evidence of corruption, they should take it to An Garda Síochána to investigate, instead of making sweeping allegations within the council, aimed at everybody.

“Go and present whatever evidence you have,” Cllr Crossan said. “Frank McBrearty's behaviour is absolutely scandalous. Not only Sinn Féin members, but other members, have been attacked by his vitriol on every occasion. we are not taking it any more. We are not going to stand by and allow council business to be disrupted.

“We got nothing done yesterday and I felt for the incoming new councillor Johnny McGuinness (Fine Gael) who was prepared to accept his co-option and had to sit through a total shambles, initiated by Frank McBrearty. I for one will not stand by and take any of that any more off him.

“Frank is of the view council's standing orders are not legal. He thinks there is no basis in legislation to authenticate them. Well Frank is wrong. He is a bully. I am going on the record as saying, he is a bully but he will not bully me.

“I have had it up to there with Frank McBrearty and I am not taking any more of it.

“We want to get on with very important council business. We have mica, we have health, we have education, we have a housing crisis that is absolutely going to explode and we need to be in there making proper representations on behalf of our constituents.”

Cllr Frank McBrearty Jr

In response to Cllr Crossan, Cllr Frank McBrearty said he would take the “false allegations” with a pinch of salt.

Cllr McBrearty added: “Cllr Jack Murray, once again yesterday (Monday), made more false assertion's and accusations that I have not supplied evidence of systemic corruption in Donegal County Council, which I have supplied to the Inish Times over the last number of months.”

Cllr McBrearty claimed he supplied the Chief Executive of Donegal County Council with evidence of systemic corruption on November 16, 2021.

He added: “On November 25, 2021, I supplied Jack Murray with the same. It was also supplied to Cllr Crossan yesterday.

“Sinn Féin's unlawful activities against me yesterday (Monday) is their attempt to try and stop me from exposing systemic corruption, which has been supplied to your paper over the last number of months.

“There were other motives at play yesterday that Sinn Féin don't want the public to find out about. One of the issues which was to be raised by me was a motion on Garda corruption, the assassination of Cllr Eddie Fullerton, and agents of the state controlled by the crime and security section on An Garda Síochána, similar to my own case against corrupt Gardaí that tried to frame me for murder, that would have embarrassed Sinn Féin at the highest level of the party.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Crossan also hit out at mica redress campaigner Paddy Diver following a video made by Mr Diver, that was posted on social media, condemning Monday's council meeting. Mr Diver described councillors as “acting like a crowd of schoolboys”.

As a result of his remarks, Cllr Crossan urged Mr Diver to be more careful with his use of words as he was now in a position of influence with the public.

Cllr Crossan added that Mr Diver was unfair to hit out at councillors as he did not understand the situation that they were involved in at the meeting.

He added: “Clearly Paddy Diver did not know the background to the situation. I am very disappointed in him. TDs Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty have highlighted the plight of the mica families at every opportunity. In addition, Cllr Albert Doherty, for four years, from 2018, has been putting motions in front of Donegal County Council regarding mica issues.

“For Paddy to stand there, clearly not knowing the background of what was going on at the council meeting and clearly not understanding we had to take a position to end all of the nonsense that has been happening there, was irresponsible, in light of the fact 32 people voted to expel Cllr Frank McBrearty and only one other individual voted against it. Paddy Diver made a video and he did not know what he was talking about.

“Sinn Féin has tabled many motions about mica. We were all at the protests, in Dublin, Buncrana and Lifford. I was at every one of them.

“For Paddy to stand up, clearly not knowing what the hullabaloo was about in the meeting, was disgraceful. I just do not understand why he did that. I for one am not prepared to stand by while he makes all sorts of allegations without having the full facts to hand.

“Paddy is a man of influence and, he made an emotional video criticising members for “squabbling like school boys” when he clearly did not know what was going on a the meeting. Paddy has a duty of care, because he is now an influential person, to ensure what he says is accurate. He needs to get his head around all of that.”

Redress campaigner Paddy Diver

Responding, Mr Diver said he stood by every word in Monday's video.

He said: “I am not just talking about yesterday's (Monday) incident. Four meetings of Donegal County Council have been completely cancelled and I, as a homeowner, am representing mica families and I stand by my words.

“I think it is a shambles and they (councillors) are acting like a crowd of schoolboys and they do need to get their act together. There are more things out there that should have been done.

“I am still disgusted how Donegal County Council acted in the Working Group. They did not represent the people of Donegal. They did not stand up and fight for or converse like Michael [Doherty] and me.

“Donegal County Council did not ask for deleterious materials to be considered, it was the homeowners, it was me was saying our foundations needed to be checked. I am as frustrated as hell that Donegal County Council has stopped applications because now they want deleterious materials included.”

The Carndonagh redress campaigner said his video was not just about yesterday's council meeting.

He explained: “It was about the in-house fighting going on and on all the time. When was the last time they had a constructive meeting, after which they could come out and give the public clear answers, for example about how to access emergency money so they they feel they can live in their homes safely?

“That is the job they should be doing, not in-house fighting. And then when Paddy Diver says something on Facebook, they say I should not be speaking out.

“I have nothing against Cllr Terry Crossan but I do think the councillors should use their energy more constructively and get out there and help the people because at the minute the people need help. In-house fighting is a disgrace and I stand by what I said.”