Padraig McShane: Former Causeway Coast and Glens councillor seeks to judicially review council procedures

Padraig McShane is seeking to judicially review procedures which were used by the local council to deal with his grievances.

He claims it was irrational and unfair to depart from a previous policy in place at the time the complaints were lodged.

Mr McShane sat as an independent member on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council until 2023.

In July 2022, while still serving as a councillor, he submitted two separate complaints to the council, according to court papers.

One related to the actions of a senior member of staff, while the second was about the use of public money in a local harbour development.

Mr McShane contends both complaints should have been dealt with under the council’s 2017 Comments, Compliments and Complaints Policy.

Instead, however, they were investigated through a Complaints Handling Procedure which was introduced in November 2023.

Lawyers for the former councillor claim he was not consulted on the decision to rely on a procedure brought in 15 months after his concerns were lodged.

They are also challenging an alleged delay in reporting and concluding the investigation into one of the complaints.

In an affidavit filed as part of the case, Mr McShane claimed he is still waiting for a final, satisfactory conclusion to both matters.

"These complaints were raised from a position whereby I was a councillor, member of the audit committee, and were, in my view, in the public interest,” he stated.

Proceedings were mentioned briefly at the High Court on Tuesday (April 8) before they were adjourned for a further update next month.

Speaking outside the court, the former councillor’s solicitor, Michael Brentnall, said: “Mr McShane seeks to challenge Causeway Coast and Glens Council on their alleged failure to properly report and conclude on two separate complaints which were raised with the council’s internal complaints procedures in July 2022, pertaining to the conduct of staff and the use of public funds within the council.”