Waterford county manager Ray O'Dwyer yesterday assured county councillors that allegations of misconduct involving council staff had no impact on the preparation of the new county development plan.
"The county development plan is not affected by these allegations," Mr O'Dwyer told Fine Gael councillor Damien Geoghegan during a brief discussion of the allegations of misconduct at yesterday's meeting of Waterford County Council.
Last month gardaí confirmed that they had launched an investigation into alleged planning irregularities at Waterford County Council after being contacted by the council following an internal investigation.
Yesterday Sinn Féin's Brendan Mansfield sought clarification on the matter from Mr O'Dwyer, but the Mayor of County Waterford, John Carey, said such a move would require a suspension of the council's standing orders.
Following a discussion among the party whips, Mr Mansfield was allowed ask for clarification, whereupon Mr O'Dwyer explained why neither he nor his staff would be commenting further on the matter other than a statement sent to councillors.
Mr O'Dwyer said he had a number of duties as county manager, including ensuring a quality of service to the public, duty of care to his staff and a duty to council members.
"An allegation has been made regarding misconduct - it has been referred to the competent authority, the Garda, and I will be making no further comment and I've instructed my staff to make no further comment," said Mr O'Dwyer.
"You can ask me all the questions you like but it won't change that fact," said Mr O'Dwyer, before going on to explain that his duty of care to his staff prevented him from commenting further on the matter.
And he added that his duty to council members had led him to similarly advise them not to make any comment as it might prejudice the outcome of the investigation being undertaken.
However, he did offer Mr Geoghegan assurances that the allegations did not impact on the preparation of the county development plan which will guide development in the county for the next five years.
Later in a separate discussion, councillors strongly condemned the management at Waterford Crystal over its decision to close the local Dungarvan plant with the loss of 395 jobs and to cut the workforce at the Kilbarry plant in Waterford city by 95.
Labour's Billy Kyne said that Dungarvan had more than its fair share of job losses over the years, but that it had a history of overcoming such adversity in the past.
He rejected suggestions that decentralisation of a State agency to the town was going to help offset the Waterford Crystal job losses. "Dungarvan takes no joy in hearing about decentralisation - all that does is drive up the price of housing."
Mr Mansfield said that the news of the closure of the plant was a devastating blow for Dungarvan.
He said it was the workers at the plant who were being sacrificed while senior management awarded themselves huge pay rises.
