Call for review of councillors' budgets for conferences

Members of Clare County Council last year clocked up 42,679 miles travelling to summer schools and conferences around Ireland, receiving €123,243 in expenses, according to new figures.

It cost the taxpayer €165,000 last year to send Clare's 32 councillors to summer schools and conferences, prompting Cllr Brian Meaney (Green) yesterday to call for a review of the annual conference budget allocated across local authorities.

"The annual spend on going to conferences is huge and is seen by many councillors as a means of supplementing their meagre allowance and salary because the only way they can access the money is to go to the conferences," he said.

Last year Clare County Council allocated €181,000 towards conferences and training.

Cllr Meaney said: "Little or no benefit accrues to councillors from attending these conferences. Each local authority across the country has a substantial conference budget, and the overall money runs into millions and this should be put to better use."

He added: "Without attendance by councillors, these conferences and summer schools would be in serious trouble as they would lose out on substantial fees, but it is time for a rethink."

In addition to such expenses, each Clare councillor receives an annual salary of €14,278 and separate allowance ranging from €5,260 to €14,973, which is provided for the mayor.

In total, councillors received between their salaries and separate allowance €660,000 last year.

The councillor with the highest sum in expenses, salary and allowances was Clare's mayor, Tommy Brennan, who received €23,450. This includes the mayoral allowance of €9,523.

The figures also show that it cost the council €13,000 to send 10 councillors to the Parnell Summer School last August, while the taxpayer will have to pay out over €10,000 to fund 14 councillors who spent a literary weekend in Omagh last September to celebrate the works of Benedict Kiely.

Cllr Bernard Hanrahan (FF) claimed the highest amount in conference expenses last year, €6,054 for travelling 3,004 miles.

The councillor to receive the second-highest conference-related amount is Cllr Flan Garvey (Ind), with €5,564 for travelling 2,118 miles. Cllr Garvey was followed by Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) who received €5,370 after travelling 3,222 miles.

Cllr Joe Arkins (Ind) received €5,120 after clocking up 2,156 miles, Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) received €4,861 after travelling 2,178 miles.

Cllr Christy Curtin said yesterday: "I endeavour to ensure that conferences that I attend are specific to my duties ... and that they can be of benefit to myself and the people I serve."

Cllr Curtin acknowledged that councillors' relationship with conferences needed to be "refocused" to ensure they offered training in relation to functions and improving councillors' knowledge of the law.