SIPO has found against Monaghan County Councillor, Seamus Treanor whom it has deemed breached standards in public office in his canvassing leaflet in the run up to the local elections in 2019.
The leaflet contained a statement from Cllr Treanor in relation to immigration.
The Standards in Public Office Commission found that Cllr Treanor was "inaccurate" in his assertions that "the unfair allocation of 22 houses to economic migrants in 2018 in Co Monaghan" - on the instructions of the Department of Justice - meant local people on the housing list for many years were pushed aside.
He added that houses were subsequently allocated to migrants whom, he added, "never spent a day on the housing waiting list".
Sipo said that the inaccuracy served to demonise an identifiable group of people and, in this case, also had the effect of generating a sense of grievance among another group of people.
The Commission also found that Cllr Treanor deliberately adopted "emotive, open-ended and accusatory language without reference to source or evidence".
It said a statement by the local area representative in his leaflet was without foundation and calculated to denigrate and anger.
The matter initially came to light in October 2019, when Sipo received a report from the Cathaoirleach and the Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council concerning
various breaches of the relevant provisions in the Local Government Act and the Code of Conduct for Councillors by the local area representative.
The local authority said Cllr Treanor failed to act in a way that enhanced public trust and confidence; serve his local authority and its citizens honestly, conscientiously and
Impartially; promote equality and avoid bias, and act courteously and respectfully when using written communications.
