This article is from page 8 of the 2014-02-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
MEMBERS of Kilrush Town Council accumulated salaries and expenses to the total of € 72,114.97 last year.
The biggest earner was Cllr Mairead O’Brien (Ind), who was mayor for the first six months of the year and claimed € 11,046.55. As well as her councillor’s salary Cllr O’Brien was also entitled to a mayoral allowance of € 1,487.50 for the period.
Also influencing her council expenses last year was the St Patrick’s Day trip to New York, which cost the council € 2,045.88 and costs associated with the Kilrush Famine Commemoration which she worked on as mayor.
Cllr O’Brien also attends meetings of the Clare Local Development Company on behalf of the council ,which also added to her expenses list.
Current Mayor Cllr Paul Moroney (Ind) also received a mayoral allowance for the last six months of 2013 bringing his expenses to € 9,369.43.
All nine councillors received a basic taxable salary of € 4,160.94 as well as a tax free allowance for attending meetings of € 2,036.
Cllr Christy O’Malley (FF) who was seconded to the town council following the death of Cllr Stephen O’Gorman (FF) in February received a salary and an allowance for just 11 months.
Councillors were also entitled to receive a mobile phone allowance up to the value of € 400.
Not all councillors claimed expenses beyond their salary and meeting allowance however.
Cllr Tom Clyne (Ind) did not claim any conference or mobile phone expenses, while Cllr Moroney and Cllr O’Malley did not claim phone expenses. Cllr Ian Lynch (FG), like Cllr Clyne, did not have any travel expenses to conferences or seminars. The remaining seven councillors spent € 12,125 attending meetings, seminars and conferences outside of Kilrush.
Cllr Liam William (FG) was the least travelled of the seven however, claiming just € 74.44 for a trip to the Inn at Dromoland for the launch of the Integrated Plan for the Shannon Estuary.
With the exception of the AMAI conferences (a body which represents the interests of municipal bodies in Ireland) there were just five conferences that attracted more than one councillor.
Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) and Cllr Liam O’Looney (FF) both attended the conference of Reconstructing the European Economy; Debt Relief in Ireland and a conference on Facing the fear of Alcohol and Mental Health in Ireland.
Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG) and Cllr O’Brien also attended the Tourism Annual Conference in Ennistymon on separate days, while Cllr O’Malley and Cllr Williams made their way to Dromoland for the launch of the Integrated Plan for the Shannon Estuary.