I am very pleased that the Minister for the Environment John Gormley TD has acted to put a cap on the amount of money being spent on trips abroad by councillors across the country. Recent freedom of Information requests and figures obtained by the Department of the Environment show extremely high amounts being claimed by certain local authorities.
For example, county councillors claimed on average €6,769, with the highest claim being on Longford County Council where the elected reps were claiming a whopping €12,333 average [see press release below]
In Fingal, the Sunday Tribune recently discovered that just over €52,000 was spent by councillors – at that time the highest figure in the country – on 40 trips.
While no doubt some of these trips have value, at a time when the Council is cutting back on vital services, surely the first reductions should be in the area of travel expenses for conferences? A number of local authorities were not making the necessary reductions, which is why John Gormley has taken this action.
The high level of claims being made for so many conferences raises the wider question of the need to reform the huge range of committees and policy groups that spring up around councils. The directly elected Mayor of Dublin, combined with the proposals contained in the soon to be published White Paper on Local Government, will bring us closer to a slimmed down and more effective system of local government in this country.
Expenditure by Councillors on Conferences
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The maximum limits are – · Counties and cities – €4,700 · Boroughs and certain large towns that were formerly UDCs – €3,000 · Towns that were formerly UDCs and certain large former town commissioners – €2,000 · Towns that were formerly town commissioners – €1,000 Where the expenditure of a local authority is currently below the maximum limit, any increase in expenditure will be prohibited. The limits will be imposed by way of Regulations made by the Minister.
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Councillors’ travel and subsistence rates, in keeping with all public servants, were reduced by 25% in early 2009. This cut will in itself reduce the cost to local authorities of sending Councillors to conferences.
General guidance stresses:
· That the limits are maxima, i.e. local authorities will be encouraged to adopt the utmost care and prudence in providing for and incurring expenditure, particularly in the current difficult budgetary and economic circumstances
· While the limits are not to be interpreted as giving each councillor an individual entitlement to expenditure up to that average amount.
· The general need for a greater level of discretion, oversight and control to be applied by local authorities to expenditure on attendance at conferences and seminars. This would cover the points raised by the Associations in their submission, including –
§ the choice of events to be attended
§ increased focus on the use of the allocation for education and training type activities as opposed to conferences and seminars
§ proper practice by councillors in relation to attendance at events
§ the strict adherence by councillors to their requirement to report back to their council following events.
Details for each type of local authority
County Councils
Position in 2009 Budget
Average expenditure per councillor – €6,769, ranging from €3,588 (Kilkenny) to €12,333 (Longford), and with two other local authorities having an average in excess of €10,000, i.e. Carlow and Cork
City Councils
Average expenditure per councillor – €5,454, the range being from €2,780 (Dublin) to €12,558 (Limerick)
Data received from all 5 city councils
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City Councils |
Average per councillor – 2009 (€) |
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Cork |
7,061 |
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Dublin |
2,780 |
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Galway |
4,467 |
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Limerick |
12,558 |
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Waterford |
4,333 |
County/City Councils combined
Average expenditure per councillor – €6,576
Boroughs and certain large towns (former UDCs)
Average expenditure per councillor – €4,591, the range being from €1,700 (Kilkenny) to €9,964 (Sligo).
Data received from all 5 boroughs
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Borough Councils |
Average per councillor – 2009 (€) |
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Clonmel |
4,833 |
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Drogheda |
2,416 |
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Kilkenny |
1,700 |
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Sligo |
9,964 |
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Wexford |
4,042 |
Towns (former UDCs)
Average expenditure per councillor – €3,288, ranging from €89 (Trim) to €13,333 (Longford). The other town councils exceeding €5,000 are Carlow (€6,433), Letterkenny (€7,500) and Mallow (€6,944).
It is suggested that this limit would also apply to the town councils (former town commissioners) of Droichead Nua (average expenditure per councillor in 2009 – €1,432), Greystones (€674), Leixlip (€556), Portlaoise (€111), Shannon (€1,056), and Balbriggan and Mullingar (data not available), to maintain consistency with the banding of towns used for the purposes of determining the Annual Expenses Allowances paid to councillors.
Town Councils (former Town Commissioners)
Data received from 13 of 26 towns, three key ones being as follows:
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Towns (former Town Commissioners) |
Average per councillor – 2009 (€) |
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Droichead Nua |
1,432 |
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Greystones |
674 |
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Leixlip |
556 |
For the remaining 10 former town commissions, the average provision per councillor is €626, the range being from €56 (Mountmellick) to €1,076 (Edenderry).
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