THE EXPENSES and allowances paid to local representatives has been highlighted by an Independent councillor.
Offaly representative John Foley is urging elected members of county councils to take a 50 per cent reduction in pay and allowances over the next two years.
The councillor was previously a running mate of former taoiseach Brian Cowen, but left Fianna Fáil earlier this year to stand as an Independent.
He is proposing the measure to counteract the “low financial resources for local authorities across the country”.
He is understood to have a seconder for the motion which is due before the council next Monday.
He is asking “that all elected members of Offaly County Council will, in this tough economic climate, show leadership and voluntarily agree for a period of two years to have their representational payments, mileage rate, cathaoirleach’s expenses, various chairperson’s allowances cut by 50 per cent and that these savings are ring-fenced by Offaly County Council to fund the required essential emergency services in the county”.
Mr Foley said it was time that “we ourselves made some political sacrifices to assist our communities”. Citing concerns about proposed cutbacks to front-line services, he said: “When this motion is passed by Offaly County Council as I expect it will be, I will be calling on all county councils nationally to adopt this motion to free up funds in their own areas.”
In Offaly County Council, which has 21 elected members, more than €300,000 annually could be saved as a result of the measures, according to Mr Foley.
The president of the Association of County and City Councillors, Fine Gael councillor Connie Hanniffy, is also a member of Offaly County Council.
She believes most councillors would be unable to operate if their salaries and expenses were halved. “I don’t think it is feasible what he is at,” Ms Hanniffy said.