THE MAYOR of Donegal said he planned to pay his own travel expenses for a trip to the US for St Patrick’s Day celebrations after Donegal County Council refused to sanction the cost.
Councillors took the decision yesterday, on a vote of 14 to 13, amid concern over the cost of overseas travel by politicians and officials.
It is the first time in 25 years the council will not be paying for the traditional St Patrick’s Day trip.
Following the vote, Cllr Brendan Byrne said both he and deputy mayor Charlie McConalogue (FF) planned to go ahead with the trip by covering their own expenses of €3,500-€4,000 each.
Mr Byrne said he hoped to “break the mould” among county councillors when it came to expenses for St Patrick’s Day trips. He said he had anticipated yesterday’s decision and had booked flights at the end of January to take up invitations extended by the Donegal Association in both New York and Chicago.
The mayor, deputy mayor and one official usually travel to the US for St Patrick’s festivities, with an average trip costing up to €15,000.
Sinn Féin councillors have recently led a charge against overseas trips, requesting a value-for-money review of all foreign travel.
Donegal County Council has had its budget halved over the past two years and the county has seen almost 400 job losses since 2007.
Sinn Féin councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn said the council needed to show accountability given the financial constraints it was currently working under.
Mr Byrne said he hoped yesterday’s outcome would set a precedent for councillors country-wide.
“There’s a perception amongst the general public that county councillors have their snout in the expenses trough. I’m breaking that mould and I hope others will follow suit in the years ahead,” he said.