Council in Louth seeks legal advice over funding tied to active court case

Louth County Council is seeking legal advice about how councillors’ discretionary Community Allocation funding should be applied after a proposed grant was deferred. The concern arose when a group connected to the deferral was found to be engaged in legal action against the local authority. The council confirmed there were two separate deferrals involving the same group. Councillors discussed the matter at a corporate policy group meeting and argued the issue may be a matter of interpreting legislation. Some councillors said similar allocations had been made previously, including support for groups pursuing judicial review. Refusing funding was described as potentially sending an unintended message.

""I don't think that the small amount of money that goes towards any group is going to tilt the case in any way, shape or form." "If the group in question set themselves up under a different name, that would overcome the issue," he added. Cllr. Meenan told the chamber that similar allocations had been made in the past, including in cases where groups were pursuing legal action against the council."

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