‘Dirty linen’ aired in public saw Downey fired - tribunal told

The Industrial Tribunal taken against the Culture Company by Garbhan Downey yesterday heard how one of the panel members who ultimately made the decision to fire the marketing chief told him she believed he had ‘aired the company’s dirty laundry in public’ during his disciplinary hearing.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Nov 2013, 22:09 BST

Noirin McKinney was one of two members of the disciplinary panel tasked with determining whether or not Mr Downey’s actions in disclosing a letter from Council Chief Sharon O’Connor to the press in October of 2012 constituted gross misconduct.

While giving evidence during the fourth day of hearings yesterday at the Office of Industrial Tribunals at Killymeal House in Belfast it was put to Ms McKinney that such a statement was evidence that she had attended the hearing with a “predetermined” view on Mr Downey’s guilt.

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This was an allegation Ms McKinney, a veteran of the Arts Council, strenuously denied. She also denied having a conflict of interest in the case - having working with Council Chief Executive Sharon O’Connor during the course of her working career.

“Our working relationship had lapsed a year before,” Ms McKinney said. “I had no technical conflict of interest.”

However it is the case of Mr Downey, and his legal team, that a number of people involved in the disciplinary proceedings were acting as ‘agents of and in the interests of’ Mrs O’Connor, who, it was claimed, wished to ‘get her hands on’ the City of Culture’s marketing budget.

Hearings are now adjourned until December 5 due to scheduling difficulties.

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It remains unclear as to when a ruling in the case will be made as a further date will have to be set for legal representatives from both the claimants and the respondents to make final submissions.

It emerged that Derry City Council Chief Sharon O’Connor was not questioned during the investigation which preceded the disciplinary hearing against Garbhan Downey - it was revealed yesterday.

Giving evidence disciplinary panel member Noirin McKinney said the panel did not know why Ms O’Connor had chosen to write the letter on October 3 which prompted Mr Downey to go to the press.

But she confirmed that the panel did not bring any questions about the issue to Mrs O’Connor herself.

The Derry City Council Chief is not among the witnesses listed to appear during the hearing, which is expected to run a further three days.

Nor is City of Culture Chief Executive Shona McCarthy.

Related topics:Arts Council