County Councilors Expenses - Disclosed in local press

Deise Tom

Which newspaper reports do you believe most? Last February the Dungarvan Newspapers published a table of expenses which the councillors that sat on Waterford County Council received during 2009.

This week in the Waterford News and Star, Deirdre Dalton carries a similar story almost six months later and the figures do not entirely match up.

The figures in the News and Star this week which they say each councillor got were as follows.

Comeragh Area:
Ger Barron €33,972.
Liam Brazil €28,029
Brendan Coffey €24,920
Mary Greene €30,718
Elaine Leahy €13,035
John O’Leary €15,039
Kieran O Riain €61,681 which the News and Star states which includes a retirement gratuity.
M.J. O’Ryan €14,184

Dungarvan Area
Tom Cronin €28,003
Damien Geoghegan €31,112
Tom Higgins €41,267
Billy Kyne €20,362
Brendan Mansfield €19,551
Pat Nugent €34,711
Teresa Wright €10,468

Lismore Area
Declan Doocey €33,102
Nora Flynn €47,848
John Pratt €14,899
James Tobin €28,830
Kevin Wilkinson €14,339

Tramore Area
John Carey €34,389
John Conway €16,191
Dan Cowman €56,099
Pat Daly €33,597
Pat Fitzgerald €13,432
Patrick O’Callaghan €31,417
Lola O’Sullivan €33,638
Ann Marie Power €27,550.

The Figures which the Dungarvan Leader and Dungarvan Observer were as follows:

Comeragh Area:
Ger Barron €33,735.
Liam Brazil €26,547.24
Brendan Coffey €24,575.07
Mary Greene €29,345.30
Elaine Leahy €13,034.90
John O’Leary €14,904.40
Kieran O Riain €9,728.39
M.J. O’Ryan €13,785.39

Dungarvan Area
Tom Cronin €27,534.81
Damien Geoghegan €28,114.24
Tom Higgins €40,897.29
Billy Kyne €20,240.74
Brendan Mansfield €19,551.37
Pat Nugent €30,303.70
Teresa Wright €9,888.06

Lismore Area
Declan Doocey €28,496.28
Nora Flynn €47,848.18
John Pratt €14,529.53
James Tobin €27,227.18
Kevin Wilkinson €13,594.08

Tramore Area
John Carey €32,672.19
John Conway €15,399.32
Dan Cowman €15,592.75
Pat Daly €33,398.94
Pat Fitzgerald €13,431.51
Patrick O’Callaghan €28,735.93
Lola O’Sullivan €33,602.42
Ann Marie Power €26,456.90

While the difference between the figures the Dungarvan papers and the News and Star printed are small in some cases, a few cent in the case of a small few, with others, there is a considerable difference between the figures and you have to wonder where the figures were got.

Cabaal

Interested alright why the figures are so different, if you add all those differences together is going to make a good bit of money

gscully

Wouldn't this be better in the county forum? None of the areas or councillors mentioned have anything to do with the city...unless Comeragh Green and Lismore Park have their own representatives

Deise Tom

gscully wrote: »

Wouldn't this be better in the county forum? None of the areas or councillors mentioned have anything to do with the city...unless Comeragh Green and Lismore Park have their own representatives

Put it in the city because the News and Star published their figures yesterday, an almost six months later than the Dungarvan papers did.

jonnyfingers

Added each councillor's respective parties if anyone is interested.

Comeragh Area:
Ger Barron €33,972 - Labour
Liam Brazil €28,029 - Fine Gael
Brendan Coffey €24,920 - Fine Gael
Mary Greene €30,718 - Fine Gael
Elaine Leahy €13,035 - Fianna Fáil
John O’Leary €15,039 - Fianna Fáil
Kieran O Riain €61,681 - Fianna Fáil - which the News and Star states which includes a retirement gratuity.
M.J. O’Ryan €14,184 - Fianna Fáil

Dungarvan Area
Tom Cronin €28,003 - Fianna Fáil
Damien Geoghegan €31,112 - Fianna Gael
Tom Higgins €41,267 - Fianna Gael
Billy Kyne €20,362 - Labour
Brendan Mansfield €19,551 - Sinn Féin
Pat Nugent €34,711 - Fianna Gael
Teresa Wright €10,468 - Labour

Lismore Area
Declan Doocey €33,102 - Fianna Gael
Nora Flynn €47,848 - Fianna Gael
John Pratt €14,899 - Labour
James Tobin €28,830 - Fianna Fáil
Kevin Wilkinson €14,339 - Fianna Fáil

Tramore Area
John Carey €34,389 - Fianna Gael
John Conway €16,191 - Independant
Dan Cowman €56,099 - Fianna Fáil
Pat Daly €33,597 - Fianna Fáil
Pat Fitzgerald €13,432 - Sinn Féin
Patrick O’Callaghan €31,417 - Labour
Lola O’Sullivan €33,638 - Fianna Gael
Ann Marie Power €27,550 - Fianna Gael

Sully

Deise Tom wrote: »

Put it in the city because the News and Star published their figures yesterday, an almost six months later than the Dungarvan papers did.

How does that make it a city? None of the city councilors figures are disclosed in that article. Its a discussion about the county councilors and their expenses.

The News and Star is sold in the county.

(Topic titled updated as the discussion has very little to do with what local paper you read)

Topic Moved

Deise Tom

But is still a city paper.

Sully

Deise Tom wrote: »

But is still a city paper.

Its a City & County paper. How did I reach that conclusion you may ask? Well, it has City and County news. Its distributed in both. If it was a city paper it would just have City news only.

Besides all that, the discussion is about County councilors. Not city. Hence, we are discussing it here

waterford

While the difference between the figures the Dungarvan papers and the News and Star printed are small in some cases, a few cent in the case of a small few, with others, there is a considerable difference between the figures and you have to wonder where the figures were got.

Did the News and Star figures include any stud fees ?

Ricardo G

In fairness Brendan Mansfield is doing a great job in/for Dungarvan, seems to be the only guy that insists on change around this town and tackles the very important issues head on regardless of what other councillors think. Keep up the good work Brendan

looksee

As well as the difference between the two amounts (Dan Cowman claimed either 15 or 56k) why would there be such a difference between councillors? A good few have claims of around 15k then some have claims of in the 30s and 40s. Granted if you are Chairman or have some other specific responsibility you are going to have larger claims, but how do the others manage such different amounts?

noby

looksee wrote: »

As well as the difference between the two amounts (Dan Cowman claimed either 15 or 56k) why would there be such a difference between councillors?

According to the Leader, Cowman also got a retirement gratuity, which, I guess, accounts for the difference.

detective

Ricardo G wrote: »

In fairness Brendan Mansfield is doing a great job in/for Dungarvan, seems to be the only guy that insists on change around this town and tackles the very important issues head on regardless of what other councillors think. Keep up the good work Brendan

can you specify perhaps?