Monaghan County Council asks Councillor filmed in RTÉ exposé to quit

Councillor Hugh McElvaney has been told to quit Monaghan County Council.

Mr McElvaney, who has worked as an elected representative for the past 40 years, was summoned to a meeting of the Co Monaghan local authority earlier to discuss the issues raised by a TV exposé.

RTÉ's investigations Unit secretly filmed Councillor Mc Elvaney allegedly asking for STG£10,000 in exchange for planning permission for a fake windfarm.

Since the programme aired, Mr Mc Elvaney has claimed he knew he was speaking to an undercover reporter and played along with it "for the craic".

He also said he would run for election again in Monaghan and would top the poll.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Environment and Local Government says the matter is an issue for Monaghan County Council.

The office says there is no structure in place to force a councillor to quit from a local authority by a vote of representatives.