Half of the State's 34 county and city managers have assured the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, that there is no evidence of their staff "double-jobbing", according to a file of reports released yesterday.
This assurance was given by Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, South Dublin, South Tipperary, Westmeath and Wexford County Councils and by Dublin Corporation.
However, it is clear from the file that a circular from IMPACT, the public service union, advising its members "not to sign any undertakings whatsoever" from the managers pending legal advice had a measurable effect on the scope of their investigations.
Mr Derek Brady, the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county manager, reported that only 166 of its 638 staff members who were asked to sign forms saying they were aware of, and complying with, the 1984 Local Government Regulations' code of conduct had done so.
The Longford county manager, Mr Michael Killeen, reported that 33 members of its staff had completed similar forms, while the Limerick city manager, Mr Brendan Keating, said that "following union intervention" he had received a response rate of 40 per cent.
The Donegal county manager, Mr Martin McLoone, also drew the Department of the Environment's attention to IMPACT's advice, saying the union had confirmed on April 3rd that its position remained the same. As a result, replies were still outstanding from some staff.
The most serious wrongdoing was uncovered in Co Kerry, where Mr Donal Mangan, the Killarney town engineer and acting senior executive engineer with the County Council, was suspended for seven days, two other engineers resigned and 24 other officials received warnings.
Mr Mangan's conduct was found to be "most unsatisfactory" in that he had concealed the extent of his property interests - amounting to some 200 acres of land - and his identification with or involvement in up to 73 planning applications as well as carrying out unauthorised development.
Mr Michael Purtill, an executive engineer with the council, received a warning and had his probationary period extended after it was found that he had made five planning applications last year. Altogether staff members had made 148 applications, mostly for single houses.
Meanwhile, Cork County Council is still seeking satisfactory responses from two overseers on "nixer" claims, while Galway Corporation is investigating a complaint from Cairde na Gaillimhe, and Leitrim County Council is now examining a case referred to it by the Department.
The Leitrim county manager, Mr John Tiernan, reported that five members of his staff were given warnings after being found to have had a "significant level of involvement in private practice". All staff have now been issued with a new code of conduct on conflicts of interest.
Checks carried out by the Kilkenny county manager, Mr P.J. Donnelly, found that two officials had engaged in private practice in the past; one had since left and the other had received a warning. No evidence was found against three others against whom allegations were made.
The Meath county manager, Mr Joe Horan, said one technician who breached the regulations had received "a warning as to his future conduct" while three other officials who were interviewed had given assurances that they were "no longer involved in private practice".
In Sligo, an engineer who made a "sizeable number" of planning applications to local authorities in the region was found to have "no case to answer" as he was on a career break at the time. But a junior planning official engaged in similar activity was reprimanded.
As already reported, Roscommon County Council imposed seven-day suspensions on a senior executive engineer who admitted that he had made a planning application under an assumed name in another county and a technician who also made planning applications in other names.
The Roscommon investigation, which was initiated by its former county manager, Mr Eddie Sheehy, also led to the resignation of an assistant engineer who was also engaged in private work, and a formal warning to an executive engineer who had a more peripheral involvement.
On taking up his new post as Wicklow county manager, Mr Sheehy discovered that two technicians were involved in private practice; one has been given a career break and the other moved to a new post. Three other technicians gave undertakings on their future conduct.
Cork Corporation suspended one of its officials for five days and received an undertaking from another after they had been found to be involved in 17 planning applications, mostly domestic extensions.
Warnings were also given to four draughtsmen with Waterford County Council.