Galway Councillors expenses

snubbleste

The Council has published the salaries and expenses of the city councillors for 2010.. after an election.
www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/YourCouncil/CouncilMembers/240211_01.xls

Some analysis http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/37431/city-hall-puts-councillors-expenses-figures-online

Sponge Bob

It is sad to see HOW FEW CONFERENCES HELD IN GALWAY ITSELF that our councillors attended. There were stacks of conferences in Galway for councillors..during 2010 but our councillors refused to attend them in the main. This lack of support is scandalous....they spend their wedge in Letterkenny Tralee Killarney and Dublin and not here.

Brian Walsh certainly educated himself

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

24/02/2010 Atlantic Conference Tullamore €306.93
18/03/2010 Local Government Housing Service Killarney €694.62
09/04/2010 LAMA Annual Conference Sligo €578.37
29/04/2010 Transport Ireland 2010 Croke Park €652.57
13/05/2010 Water Leakage Conference Dun Laoghaire €620.13
08/10/2010 LAMA Autumn Seminar Listowel €461.70
24/11/2010 Future City Forum London €485.69

Total €3,800.00


as did Collette Connollly

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

11/02/2010 AMAI Spring Seminar Sligo €441.77
09/04/2010 LAMA Annual Conference Sligo €447.19
15/04/2010 IPI Planning Conference Tullamore €864.02
21/05/2010 Integration of JPC into the existing LA structures Rosscarbery €674.47
15/07/2010 Media Skills for Councillors Rosscarbery €568.03
08/10/10 LAMA Autumn Seminar Listowel €376.49
15/10/10 Doughlas Hyde Conference Ballaghadereen €303.82
22/10/10 TASC/FEPS Autumn Conference Croke Park €124.20

Total €3,800.00

And Niall McNelis

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

11/02/2010 AMAI Spring Seminar Sligo €494.68
09/04/2010 LAMA Annual Conference Sligo €483.09
29/04/2010 Transport Ireland 2010 Croke Park €664.79
30/09/2010 How to be an effective Mayor/Chairperson Athlone €379.74
08/10/2010 LAMA Autumn Seminar Listowel €485.16
05/11/2010 Mastering the Art of Secure Communication Letterkenny €674.54
17/12/2010 Building Regulations, Renewable Energy Tralee €618.01

Ollie Crowe claimed over €3800

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

18/02/2010 Building Social Euorpe Dublin €365.62
11/05/2010 BIDS Conference Dundalk €576.41
13/05/2010 Water Leakage Conference Dun Laoghaire €620.13
14/05/2010 Business Investments Seminar Naas €604.61
08/10/2010 LAMA Autumn Seminar Listowel €580.44
19/11/2010 Council Budgets 2011 Letterkenny €659.54
24/11/2010 Future City Forum London €1,267.43


Total = €4,674.16


Tom Costello

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

29/01/2010 Planning Seminar for Councillors Limerick €379.70
11/02/2010 AMAI Spring Seminar Sligo €570.06
18/02/2010 Building Social Europe Dublin €365.62
04/03/2010 ÀCCC Annual Conference Rebuilding Confidence Limerick Junction €520.06
09/04/2010 LAMA Annual Conference Sligo €574.57
28/05/2010 Defamation Seminar Limerick €343.05
07/10/2010 Getting a Grip 2010 Killarney €574.34
17/12/2010 Building Regulations, Renewable Energy Tralee €472.62

Total €3,800.01


Am I right in saying €3800 is the max claimable for Conferences because most claimed exactly €3800 each.

Michael Crowe...nearly €3800

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

18/02/2010 Building Social Europe Dublin €337.11
29/04/2010 Transport Ireland 2010 Croke Park €664.93
11/05/2010 BIDS Conference Dundalk €572.66
07/05/2010 ISME Annual Lunch Dublin €325.84
13/05/2010 Water Leakage Conference Dun Laoghaire €620.13
14/05/2010 Business Investments Seminar Naas €495.62
16/04/2010 BMW - Promoting Growth & jobs in Irelands regions Cavan €420.00

Total €3,436.28

Pádraig Conneely seemed to get the costs covered. Are all of these Council business though and who paid for his expenses for these events ?

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment

11/02/2010 AMAI Spring Seminar Sligo €570.06
18/02/2010 Building Social Europe Dublin €375.22
24/02/2010 Atlantic Conference Tullamore €388.67
25/06/2010 Byrne Perry Summer School Gorey €0.00
19/11/10 Council Budgets 2011 Letterkenny €145.00
27/11/2010 Religion & Education: A human Rights Perspective Dublin €0.00
16/12/2010 Annual Conference 2010 – Reforming the Law on personal debt Dublin €0.00
17/12/2010 Building Regulations, Renewable Energy Tralee €0.00
04/03/2010 ÀCCC Annual Conference Rebuilding Confidence Limerick Junction €150.00
09/04/2010 LAMA Annual Conference Sligo €195.00
16/04/2010 BMW - Promoting Growth & jobs in Irelands regions Cavan €100.00
21/05/2010 Integration of JPC into the existing LA structures Rosscarbery €199.00
27/05/2010 Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances Dublin €0.00
09/09/2010 AMAI Annual Conference 2010 Buncrana €200.00
08/10/2010 LAMA Autumn Seminar Listowel €0.00
26/10/2010 DPP Annual Conference Belfast €0.00

Total = €2,322.95

dolphin city

i like the "GET A GRIP" seminar - they should ALL have gone for that.

Also the "HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MAYOR/ CHAIRPERSON" - I've heard it all now.

not to mind expenses claimed for a car driving around with no tax and insurance.

Farce.

Sponge Bob

dolphin city wrote: »

not to mind expenses claimed for a car driving around with no tax and insurance.

Wasn't that Billy Cameron..in which case it is no surprise he attended a conference called "Being positive in a negative climate" only last May after all the bashing he got over expenses and illegal chauffeurs in 2009

Like all the rest of them Billy does not attend conferences when they are held in Galway

Date Conferences Attended – January 2010 to December 2010 Location Payment
29/01/2010 Planning Seminar for Councillors Limerick €353.50
11/02/2010 AMAI Spring Seminar Sligo €537.05
18/02/2010 Building Social Europe Dublin €309.92
04/03/2010 ÀCCC Annual Conference Rebuilding Confidence Limerick Junction €487.05
14/05/2010 Business Investments Seminar Naas €366.98
21/05/2010 Being positive in a negative climate Westport €442.98
24/11/2010 Future City Forum London €1,478.87
17/12/2010 Building Regulations, Renewable Energy Tralee €278.99

Total €4,255.35

dolphin city

Im amazed none of them attended the "NOT MY DEPARTMENT" seminar.

But then again, they are experts in this field already.

Caribs

Wot about the "Lets get 5 of us in the same car, all claim mileage expenses and pocket the difference".

Hang on, they might know that one too..!!

I did hear tell that allegedly a trick done by some is to sign in for the conference on a Friday for example, show the face then head off and enjoy the sites of the particular location whilst being able to claim for attending. Mind you I believe that is what happens in Brussels too so maybe it's an agreed practice

PauricTheLodger

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Pádraig Conneely seemed to get the costs covered. Are all of these Council business though and who paid for his expenses for these events ?

Odd. If I remember correctly from this time last year he had then claimed the most...

Mollie Breathna

PauricTheLodger wrote: »

Odd. If I remember correctly from this time last year he had then claimed the most...

Seems he was too busy to fill out those pesky claim forms (yet):
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/former-mayor-too-busy-to-claim-2573621.html
"Thursday March 10 2011

FINE Gael councillor for Galway City Padraig Conneely, right, says he is too busy to claim his expenses.

He did not claim his mobile phone or broadband allowance, worth at least €500 a year, nor did he claim mileage or accommodation expenses for attending six conferences in 2010.

This is because he puts his needs far behind those of his electorate, he told the Irish Independent yesterday.

"I'm behind in my claiming. I was very busy," he said. "I was mayor in 2008 and 2009, and I was one of the busiest in the country.

"I just hadn't got time to do it and it takes time to itemise the bills. I put the job and people before myself. I'm not a money-grabber."

Irish Independent"

Those €0.00 figures mean he hasn't got round to claiming them yet being so busy and all and not being a "money-grabber"!

Sponge Bob

2011 may be the year of the complete paperwork, he has placemarked his claims without itemising them.

Hildegaarde claimed nothing above basic salary and expenses I should point out. Well done Hildegaarde for not going to silly conferences on taxpayers money like "Being positive in a negative climate" and "Getting a Grip 2010 Killarney" and "How to be an effective Mayor" annd "ISME Annual Lunch"

996tt

Sponge Bob wrote: »

2011 may be the year of the complete paperwork, he has placemarked his claims without itemising them.

Hildegaarde claimed nothing above basic salary and expenses I should point out. Well done Hildegaarde for not going to silly conferences on taxpayers money like "Being positive in a negative climate" and "Getting a Grip 2010 Killarney" and "How to be an effective Mayor" annd "ISME Annual Lunch"

and billy will probably top the poll again next time, just like michael lowry

gordongekko

996tt wrote: »

and billy will probably top the poll again next time, just like michael lowry

:rolleyes::rolleyes: Ya cause they are same !!!!! ffs

Lapin

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Brian Walsh
24/11/2010 Future City Forum London €485.69


Ollie Crowe
24/11/2010 Future City Forum London €1,267.43

I'd like to know how the hell Crowe's expense bill come to almost 3 times more than Walsh's for the same junket.

996tt

gordongekko wrote: »

:rolleyes::rolleyes: Ya cause they are same !!!!! ffs

Both did unethical things(misled their taxes/expenses for their own financial gain), so in my opinion yes they are.

As Sponge Bob has pointed out, most councillors including Billy are out to milk the system, plenty of courses in galway yet they prefer that both themselves and their partner/brother get a nice weekend away out of it. Even looking at where they attend their courses they never visit the same location twice, I wonder why is that?

gordongekko

996tt wrote: »

Both did unethical things(misled their taxes/expenses for their own financial gain), so in my opinion yes they are.

Linky to court case where they were found guilty please as i suspect both would claim they are innocent

996tt

gordongekko wrote: »

Linky to court case where they were found guilty please as i suspect both would claim they are innocent

Can you please read what I typed, I never mentioned that he was convicted.

Billy Camerons is famous for the time he claimed mileage allowances for a car that he didnt own and wasnt taxed. There is plenty of evidence out there. Investigations were promised but never happened.

As Bertie was also never convicted in court does that also mean that the well proven accusations about him are irrelevant as there is also ample proof to those?

emptybladder

gordongekko wrote: »

Linky to court case where they were found guilty please as i suspect both would claim they are innocent

this says it all for me, I don't need to hear any more.

Dan_Solo

It's like a heroin dealer saying he's stopped dealing, or a serial killer saying he's stopped killing, therefore there's no need to investigate any further, is there?;)

Dan_Solo

emptybladder wrote: »

this says it all for me, I don't need to hear any more.

And where did his brother/chauffeur stay while Billy was at these overnight gigs? Slept in the car I suppose.:rolleyes:

996tt

Dan_Solo wrote: »

And where did his brother/chauffeur stay while Billy was at these overnight gigs? Slept in the car I suppose.:rolleyes:

1. did his brother have adequate insurance, normal insurance would not cover hire for reward,
2. did the car have tax---NO
3. His brother was on the dole, did he stop claiming the dole when he was on his weekends away,
4. Did his brother delcare this income to the revenue??

Unrealistic

gordongekko wrote: »

Linky to court case where they were found guilty please as i suspect both would claim they are innocent

Have you really never heard of the Moriarty Tribunal?

Mrs OBumble

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Like all the rest of them ... does not attend conferences when they are held in Galway

Can you name some conferences in Galway that councillors should have attended, but didn't?

It's going to hard to prove, of course, because they won't have expense claims for these ones, so they'll never show up in this list.

Unrealistic

JustMary wrote: »

Can you name some conferences in Galway that councillors should have attended, but didn't?

It's going to hard to prove, of course, because they won't have expense claims for these ones, so they'll never show up in this list.

Galway being considered a desirable weekend break destination I would suggest that you would only need to look at the list of conferences attended by councillors from any other local authority outside Connacht to find a comprehensive list of conferences that took place here. :rolleyes:

snubbleste

Would'nt surprise me if many of these conferences were organised by councillors themselves
There have been a few in Galway

Challenged Local Authorities Promoting Community Development 16-18 Oct. 2009 Glenlo Abbey, Co. Galway
Conference & Exhibit on Insulation & Heating 15-16 May 2010 Galway
Cost of Insurance and Claims to your local authority 21-23 May 2010 Galway
Representatives Entitlements - The Legal Basis 8-9 Dec. 2009 Galway
Alternative Energy - Improving your Carbon Footprint 11-13 Dec. 2009
Galway Managing Stress & Promoting Positive Mental Health 16-18 Feb 2010 Galway
Need for Urgent Local Authority and Health Service Reform 30/7/2010-1/8/2010
Galway Economic, Social & Cultural Rights in Public Administration 13-15 August 2010 Galway