Concillers Expemses

Cork

I have just got a copy of the Farmers Journal newspaper which has a pretty good feature on the level of expenses claimed by our county councillers. It seems that these expenses are cost the state 25million last year.

I cannot understand a counciller claiming 40,000-50000 in expenses for what is effectively a part time job.

I know telephone, stationary and petrol does not come cheap. But claiming high expenses seems to be tolerated.

Fair play to the Farmers Journal for exposing this. It has not even gotten much coverage in the Sunday newspapers.

gandalf

Thats because it gotten front page coverage in the papers on Thursday :rolleyes:

And the worst offender a FF councillor in Mayo claimed around €75000. One county council (Tipperary) are introducing a tax on for sale signs while all this wastage is going on.

Welcome to rip off Ireland allowed to happen by FF/PD Junta !!

Gandalf.

Cork

It be fair, it was concillers from all partys who received such expenses.

I really think if these expenses are 100% with council business it might be ok. But these county councillers are essentially part time posts & I would like to know - what meaures are county councils performing to vouch fuel or mobile phone bills?

Sparks

Thats because it gotten front page coverage in the papers on Thursday

So, who does the accounting, who checks to see that noone's bought a holiday in the Canaries with their expense account, and what's the punishment for abuse?

sceptre

Too right Cork. There must be something fishy going on. These expense claims (which may even be invalid as the Farmers Journal don't seem to give any details of specific claims which are obviously fake) must be examined in detail by whatever shower of idiots are running the country (the real culprits in this certain case of fraud for letting this thieving go on). Who's running the country and letting these thieves (including that FF councillor that gandalf mentioned) run off with our hard-earned tax receips and EU grants?

Nice of the Farmers Journal to expose this fraud (that is what you implied it was didn't you?) in a week when one might expect them to highlight the reform of the CAP and the possible reduced payments to a number of farmers. That's what journalism is all about - letting your own vested interests aside in order to being justice to us all. Self-sacrifice. Kudos to you Cork for bringing this incompetence in the government-appointed rubber-stamping department to light and highlighting that Martin Cullen should be ashamed for shirking his responsibilities as Minister for the Environment and Local Government, having had these reports on councillor expenses pass through his hands and requiring the fine folks in the national papers to highlight his ineptitude and complicity in this corruption.

Paddy20

I heard on a local independent Radio News bulletin, that the only County Councillor in Ireland who did not claim - any expenses -was from Donegal.

Paddy20;)

Smeg

The information released is inaccurate......Wait till Councils are back in session tomorrow.......

rcunning03

no wonder some td's were going mad over losing the dual mandate it doesnt matter that children are dying due to health cutbacks but if you try to take the dual mandate away then they rebel

sick, sick society

Originally posted by Smeg
The information released is inaccurate......Wait till Councils are back in session tomorrow.......

Interesting that.
I bumped into one of my local councillors, in a local shop yesterday, he had claimed over €40,000.
He explained that the figures in the papers covered two and a half years payments.
He also said that they included the new councillors salary which was back paid for last year also.
The Salary was brought in with the new legislation, stopping T.D's from holding council seats and was introduced to his mind to keep/encourage a reasonable calibre of person in the job.
Prior to 2002, he was only claiming vouched expenses of about IR£350 a month or so.

So effectively he was saying that , vouched expenses were roughly the same as in any other year, it was the new salary that bumped up the figures and the fact that it was back paid.

He also pointed out to me that the figures were gross and all taxable in his case at 40%.

Whether some councillors should be *earning* or are worth this new salary is open to debate( There are many in my opinion who aren't worth it ) but clearly in the effort at creating sensationalist headlines, the newspapers have done it again in inaccurately portraying the facts.
mm

Smeg

I couldnt have put it better myself.