Cllr Edel Corrigan
Louth County Councillor Edel Corrigan has hit out at the ‘junket culture’ which is prevalent in councils across Ireland.
The Sinn Féin candidate for the Dundalk Carlingford area criticised the practice both locally and nationally and in a statement issued earlier today even broke the figures down for her own area.
She said: “Fine Gael councillors Martin Murnaghan, who was co-opted in 2010, and Terry Brennan, who stood down at that time, claimed €6,482.71 between them on junkets.”
Cllr Corrigan said: “This is public money and these junkets are needless trips and courses where you are put up in the best of hotels. Fine Gael weren’t the worst offenders it should be said.
“Independent candidate Jim Ryan racked up a shocking €13,156.88, which is greater than all the other councillors in the area combined.
“In addition to these ‘junkets’, councillors who chair a Strategic Policies Committee (SPC), which meet only four times per year, can get an annual tax-free payment of €6,000.”
Cllr Corrigan went on to say: “Sinn Féin have consistently spoken out on the issue of ‘junkets’ and I have previously proposed that the four chairs of the SPCs no longer accept their €6,000 tax free payment as it is an insult to those who continue to suffer at the hands of the current Government’s austerity measures. This money could be put to better use.”
Councillor Edel Corrigan is asking that “all councillors elected on May 23rd put a stop once and for all to this ‘junket culture’ and start giving people value for money.”
Talk of the Town 