The State's watchdog for ethical standards in politics is to investigate two councillors in Co Kerry over alleged breaches of ethics legislation.
The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) said it has decided to initiate a formal investigation under the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 into alleged contraventions of The Ethical Framework for the Local Government Service (Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001) and the Ethics Acts, by councillors Patrick O'Donoghue and Sheila Casey of Killarney Town Council.
The issue concerns an attempt to rezone land around the Gleaneagle Hotel in Killarney to town centre status. Councillors voted by majority to rezone the lands which are 1.9km from the actual town centre.
In a statement, SIPO said the decision was made after it had considered the report of a preliminary inquiry into a complaint it had received in respect of these councillors. That preliminary investigation was announced last September and carried out by Paddy Walsh.
The ethics body will now hold a public hearing at its Dublin offices on Monday March 26th.
It said it would make no further statement on the matter at this time.
Patrick O'Donoghue is a Fianna Fáil member of Killarney Town Council. He is also a director Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland and is managing director of the Gleneagle Hotel Group in Killarney. Sheila Casey of Fine Gael is the current mayor of the council.