THE STATE’S local government auditor has raised questions over the spending of €48,000 by Clare councillors in attending three conferences.
In a report to go before today’s meeting of Clare County Council, auditor Thomas O’Callaghan says that under the heading of “members’ travelling expenses”, more than €48,000 was incurred by the council by members attending the conferences in 2009.
“The overall costs incurred for attendance at such conferences and whether value for money is being obtained by attending such events should be evaluated,” he says. He does not disclose the three conferences concerned.
The council has published online records of conferences attended by councillors in 2009, which show 210 conferences and summer schools were attended.
Nineteen of 32 councillors went to Letterkenny, Co Donegal, on St Valentine’s weekend for Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland seminar. They clocked up about 11,620km (7,220 miles) making the 611km (380 mile) round trip at a cost of €14,944.
Listed as having made the trip are: Joe Cooney (FG), John Crowe (FG), Christy Curtin (Ind), Pat Daly (FF), Paschal Fitzgerald (Lab), Oliver Garry (FG), Bernard Hanrahan (FF), Pat Hayes (FF), Patricia McCarthy (Ind), John McInerney (FG), Pat McMahon (FF), Brian Meaney (Green), Tony Mulcahy (FG), Richard Nagle (FF), Tony O’Brien (FF), Sonny Scanlon (FG), Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) and Colm Wiley (FF).
