Council denies use of investigators to monitor employees

Council denies use of investigators to monitor employees

11 January 2012

DOWN Council has been asked if it employed private investigators to spy on its staff.

The question was one of 12 submitted to the local authority under Freedom of Information legislation between the end of November and December 16 last year.

Details of the various questions asked were made public

at Monday night’s monthly

meeting of Down Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

One FOI request wanted details on the amount of money the council spent on surveillance systems to collect information on its staff, while another wanted details of celebrities or public personalities who were engaged by the local authority to carry out functions on its behalf over the past 12 months.

Another FOI request sought information on what financial support, if any, Down Council was providing for the legal challenge of the South Eastern Health Trust’s decision to axe consultant-led night-time emergency cover at the Downe Hospital.

Council chief executive, Mr. John Dumigan, confirmed on Monday night the council had not spent any money employing private investigators to spy on its staff.