Limerick council expenses + allowances nearly €2 million.

munstergirl

Allowances + expenses city + county council from limerickleader.ie

Limerick COUNTY €1,190,750.

Limerick CITY €719,856.

An increase of €159,657 on 2008.

Thats quite a big difference in city + county.

kilburn

quite shocking but i suppose the council boys would being stinging us for their extra mileage.

panda100

Disagrace.

Limerick county has no facilities,massive unemployment,serious social issues,local buisness's shutting down daily, allowances and wages being cut left right and centre.TD's in West Limerick are a joke.
I thought Labour might make a difference in West Limerick but the only issue I've seen them publicly commenting on all year was Stag hunting.

They are all on quadruple my annual wage,they should have to pay for their own expenses like the rest of us.

Raiser

Limerick councillors paid almost €2m last year in allowances and expenses

05 August 2010
By David Hurley
COUNCILLORS across Limerick were paid almost €2 million last year in allowances and expenses. According to figures released under the Freedom on Information Act, Limerick County Council paid a total of €1,190,750 to elected representatives, while Limerick City Council paid councillors €719,856.
The total amount of money paid out in 2009 represented an increase of €159,657 compared to 2008, but this is because of last year's local elections, which were held in June.

The Limerick Leader has learned that every councillor receives a representative payment of more than €16,000 a year and they are also entitled to claim a variety of other expenses and allowances relating to their role as a councillor.

There is also an annual allowance of several thousand euro per councillor for attendance at conferences.

Councillors elected to chair special policy committees receive an additional payment of €6,000 a year and both the Mayor of Limerick and the Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council receive additional allowances relating to their respective roles.

Above story also has the below Photo and text:



Cllr Mary Harty who spent 140 euro staying in a hotel 25km from her home.

Why have I never heard of Mary Harty?

- Hero or Zero?

Edit #1:

I wonder if her expensive and widely criticised Hotel stay at our expense was so that she could point at some unspecified object in the background of the below image?




Edit #2:

Oh no - Not looking good - Seems she has a penchant for foreign travel also.

THE six councillors and two senior officials from Limerick County Council who yesterday jetted off on a nine-day junket to China strenuously defended the visit.When asked about the €32,000 cost to the taxpayer, Fine Gael's Cllr Mary Harty said: I suppose any quality project costs money in these days. You know the way these things are.

Presumably Pallasgreen now has Chinese Temples, Pandas and a Dojo.

The council said the purpose of the trip was to strengthen business and cultural links with Shanghai.

Thats preposterous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit #3:

Mary ponders on her motives for not driving Home from Adare to Pallasgreen, total Bill approaches €300 inclusive of incidentals - Plato Aristotle and Socrates could not outdo this Woman's philosophical powers and mental might

Mary Xian Harty wrote:

I just stayed for an overnight because I was there overnight

- Link

Edit #4:

The Fine Gael Propaganda page is quietly modest about Mary's Political record and achievements to date.

Mary Harty was re-elected to Limerick County Council in June 2009.

Ahem. No Monorail there then.

- Pity the trip to China for Mary and 7 of her Buddies which cost the Taxpayer €32,000 didn't yield anything of note whatsoever isn't it?#

So this all begs the questions - Who is voting this Person into Public Office and well..... WHY EXACTLY?

Final Edit:



€50 says shes a Teacher who got sick of the Classroom and fancied using her high local public profile to get elected because Irish People vote for local People in the same manner that Dogs sniff other Dogs arsés - Animal instinct and the fact that they think there's something in it for them......

Ironically She forgot the Red Jacket for her trip to China

munstergirl

Why do 8 co limerick people need to go to china for a week?

And what travel agent are they using to cost €32,000.?

Ok it was in 2004 but obviously nothing came out of it. Don't see any chinese industries around the place.

Staying in hotel 25k from home is just wrong. Ripping off tax payers.

€140, everyone knows you can get hotel room in limerick at the moment for less than €50.

Cookiemunster

munstergirl wrote: »

€140, everyone knows you can get hotel room in limerick at the moment for less than €50.

It doesn't work like that. They get a fixed rate for an overnight stay. It doesn't matter whether the hotel cost €50 or €150. And AFAIK they don't need to provide receipts. When they go to conferences they can sign in on the first morning, go straight home and then get paid for the expence of attending the 2 or 3 day conference. Until the system is radically altered this will continue.

If I'm honest though if I was in the same position and could get away with it I'd probably do it as well.

hightower1

Perhaps some boardsies could be paid an average wage of 50k a year to shadow these folks... make sure they are doing a comptent job and using common sense eg. when booking a holiday for 8 friends to China... I think we all would know that 30k plus for that is a rip off and could direct them on tax payers behalf to budget travel?!

So cost of a boardsie oversee'r for a year = 50k, saving made by applying common sense by said boardsie = 100 k upwards. Bargin. and an extra person in employemnt to boot. Nice.

donutheadhomer

panda100 wrote: »

Disagrace.

Limerick county has no facilities,massive unemployment,serious social issues,local buisness's shutting down daily, allowances and wages being cut left right and centre.

and are these not all very good reasons for them travel on our behalf to help us get all those services/facilities above

krudler

EurasianBadger wrote: »

and are these not all very good reasons for them travel on our behalf to help us get all those services/facilities above

How is a councillor from Limerick going to China going to solve any of our employment problems?

donutheadhomer

krudler wrote: »

How is a councillor from Limerick going to China going to solve any of our employment problems?

organising investment from China perhaps

Millie

krudler wrote: »

How is a councillor from Limerick going to China going to solve any of our employment problems?

And that trip was back in 2004 when we were in our hay day!

munstergirl

EurasianBadger wrote: »

organising investment from China perhaps

Wouldn't that be the IDA job?

I would guess they just wanted a holiday on tax payers expense.

This trip happened 6 years ago, think if somethig was going to happen it would have happened by now.

donutheadhomer

Millie wrote: »

And that trip was back in 2004 when we were in our hay day!

sure you wouldn't begrudge them a few days away now would you??????
I think it has all worked out well anyway - The delegations brought Ireland to their attention and then the chinese took all the jobs from ireland - win win situation I see.

donutheadhomer

EurasianBadger wrote: »

sure you wouldn't begrudge them a few days away now would you??????
I think it has all worked out well anyway - The delegations brought Ireland to their attention and then the chinese took all the jobs from ireland - win win situation I see.

Quit complaining guys - if your job offered you an all expenses trip to China would you not take it????

Millie

EurasianBadger wrote: »

sure you wouldn't begrudge them a few days away now would you??????
I think it has all worked out well anyway - The delegations brought Ireland to their attention and then the chinese took all the jobs from ireland - win win situation I see.

krudler

EurasianBadger wrote: »

Quit complaining guys - if your job offered you an all expenses trip to China would you not take it????

My job doesnt use taxpayers money to fly their employees and assorted buddies around the world on pointless missions.

donutheadhomer

krudler wrote: »

My job doesnt use taxpayers money to fly their employees and assorted buddies around the world on pointless missions.

But if they did you would go I think - I would anyway.

Everytime we drive, use water or press a traffic light we are ising tax payers money. I think if they are going to waste it then at leeast someone should enjoy themselves doing it.

krudler

EurasianBadger wrote: »

But if they did you would go I think - I would anyway.

Everytime we drive, use water or press a traffic light we are ising tax payers money. I think if they are going to waste it then at leeast someone should enjoy themselves doing it.

You're comparing running water with a pointless trip to China?

argument invalid.

cancan

EurasianBadger wrote: »

But if they did you would go I think - I would anyway.

Everytime we drive, use water or press a traffic light we are ising tax payers money. I think if they are going to waste it then at leeast someone should enjoy themselves doing it.

Spoken like a true public servant.

Perhaps you should set up a direct deposit from your savings account to make up their shortfall.

Sure if you are going to be saving money, then at least someone should enjoy themselves doing it.

donutheadhomer

cancan wrote: »

Spoken like a true public servant.

Perhaps you should set up a direct deposit from your savings account to make up their shortfall.

Sure if you are going to be saving money, then at least someone should enjoy themselves doing it.

I didn't see anything about a shortfall. I believe there is monies set aside in the council for trips away.

I am far from being a public servant btw - VERY Far in fact

Berty

There was a local councillor on TodayFm yesterday evening from Cork or something.

He was discussing expenses. He said he did a 140km round trip to a conference and put in an expense claim for time spent out and mileage for €75 and got a cheque for €217 or so. He tried to return the overpayment and was told "That is the payment allowance for that type of trip".

They told him they had no facility to take back the monies even though he wrote them cheques to return it.

He said people are making hundreds from the local councils because of their old systems of paying over the top for events.

I suggest the council adopt a system like private business whereby you get an industry standard allowance for expenses with limits.

My company books all my flights and hotels and I can only spend a certain amount for evening meals when staying away. Big purchases need a purchase order.

No Quangos. Just give them limits and they wont be able to take the P*ss.

donutheadhomer

Berty wrote: »

There was a local councillor on TodayFm yesterday evening from Cork or something.

He was discussing expenses. He said he did a 140km round trip to a conference and put in an expense claim for time spent out and mileage for €75 and got a cheque for €217 or so. He tried to return the overpayment and was told "That is the payment allowance for that type of trip".

They told him they had no facility to take back the monies even though he wrote them cheques to return it.

He said people are making hundreds from the local councils because of their old systems of paying over the top for events.

I suggest the council adopt a system like private business whereby you get an industry standard allowance for expenses with limits.

My company books all my flights and hotels and I can only spend a certain amount for evening meals when staying away. Big purchases need a purchase order.

No Quangos. Just give them limits and they wont be able to take the P*ss.

I think that would fix it all. Let someone else do all the bookings and give them fuel cards for fuel rather than actual money - the only the actualy expense is paid for

steveon

EurasianBadger wrote: »

I think that would fix it all. Let someone else do all the bookings and give them fuel cards for fuel rather than actual money - the only the actualy expense is paid for

Precisely...why are they payed out money for over the top expenses, they should be provided with full cards, and should then have this expense taxed from their salarys like they enforced on every1 else in the country...and see how they like it...benefits in kind..

They choose to take a job in dublin...why there even allowed claim expenses is beyond me but thats a different argument.

ninty9er

Considering there's 11 more councillors in the county, I'm surprised the difference isn't bigger. It's just a matter of whether the county is being miserly or the city is being extravagant.