Tyrone woman in council row taking legal action

A TYRONE woman who is the chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, is taking legal action against her employers.

Anne Donaghy who is from south Tyrone, has been placed on precautionary suspension while an independent investigation is carried out into allegations of bullying and harassment.

She was the focus of a BBC Spotlight programme last week, which examined how she dealt with an alleged threat from loyalists caused by the NI Protocol.

Ms Donaghy’s lawyer said she is taking legal action against the council on disability grounds and she is also claiming discrimination on grounds of her sex and her religious and political beliefs.

A number of complaints have been lodged against Ms Donaghy who has been off work for a number of months.

Solicitor Kevin Winters said, “She is making this formal announcement now in response to the unjustified decision to suspend her at a time when she is on sick leave.

“To date there has been zero accountability on the part of the council on the manner in which it has conducted itself on a series of issues, all of which are the subject of pending disciplinary and other proceedings.”

The PSNI are investigating allegations of misconduct in public office at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and officers carried out a raid on council offices.

The investigation surrounds the removal of council staff from Larne port after Ms Donaghy voiced fears over threats from paramilitaries. An investigation by the PSNI revealed there was no evidence to back up these threats.

Last year, Ms Donaghy was given an OBE for services to local government and the community in Co Antrim during Covid-19.