Cllr Colly Kelly
NINE Sinn Féin councillors in Derry City and Strabane District Council have their allowances paid straight to the party, according to a newspaper report today.
The Irish News claim one councillor Collie Kelly – who claimed jobseekers’ allowance despite receiving a council salary – is claiming a carer’s allowance that’s also paid directly into a party bank account.
The newspaper say that £140,000 in councillor wages are going straight into the same account despite local government laws against the practice.
Sinn Féin has faced calls for an investigation after a court case involving Cllr Kelly shed light on how the party deals with some council allowances.
The Derry city councillor faced charges of failing to declare a change in circumstances and making a false declaration over claiming £19,000 in unemployment benefits.
But a judge acquitted him after the court heard how his council allowance was paid straight to Sinn Féin.
The court heard he had no “card, no chequebook, no access at all” to the account and that all his allowance went to the party.
In a Freedom of Information request by the The Irish News, Derry and Strabane District Council has revealed that Mr Kelly receives both a basic and carer’s allowance from the local authority.
They are paid into a bank account also used by eight other Sinn Féin councillors, according to the FOI.
The DUP’s Sammy Wilson has previously accused Sinn Féin of “exploiting” the welfare system and called for an investigation.
Sinn Féin said councillors in Derry “choose to have their payments paid into a central account and make a voluntary donation to the party”.
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