Published: Wednesday, 10th March, 2010 5:00pm

Five cllrs pay own way on St Patrick's Day trips

by John Donohoe

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Taxpayer to foot bill for county council delegation's visit to New York

Cllr Noel Leonard.

A number of councillors travelling abroad for St Patrick's Day next week will be doing so at their own expense, while others will have their expenses paid by the taxpayer.

The move by councillors from Trim and Kells Town Councils to pay their own way follows recent controversy over foreign trips taken by public representatives, both national and local, in the current difficult economic climate.

The vice-chairman of Meath County Council, Cllr Noel Leonard, is leading a delegation of Meath County Council members to New York, where he will be joined by Cllr John V Farrelly and Suzanne Jamal of Fine Gael, and independent Cllr Seamus O'Neill.

Cllrs Wayne Harding (Fianna Fail) and Ann Dillon Gallagher (Fine Gael), are travelling to London to represent the local authority. The council did not reveal which officials, if any, were travelling abroad, when asked.

Their trips come as a fellow councillor, Fine Gael North Meath councillor, Catherine Yore, criticised such trips in the current economic climate. She has called on councillors to reduce substantially the number of trips and the amount spent by councillors on foreign and local visits.

"While foreign travel, as well as local trips, and conferences have a role, given the current circumstances, that role must be a very limited one," Cllr Yore said.

"If there is some purpose in travelling to further the prospect of job creation or investment in Meath, I suggest that we look at the feasibility of bringing prospective investors to Meath as an alternative."

She added: "Frankly, I cannot see how overseas travel can be justified this year given the state of the roads and general shortage of money. There is a time and a place for these things and now is not the time," she added.

A number of councillors are travelling at their own expense, from both Trim and Kells town councils, but the trip of the Mayor of Navan, Cllr Joe Reilly, to London, is also being footed by the taxpayer.

Trim town councillors, who are attending St Patrick's Day celebrations abroad, are to fund their trips from their own pocket, following the council's decision to axe funding for foreign travel in their 2010 budget.

Cllr Gerard Reilly is to represent the town at the St Patrick's Day Parade in New York, while Cllr Vincent McHugh is planning to attend the London parade. Cathaoirleach Cllr Ray Butler has decided not to travel due to his commitments with the local festivities, as chairperson of the Celtic Festival Committee.

He said that Trim Town Council has unique ties with the Meath Association in London and their representatives had come to parades in Trim, and councillors had attended the London parade. "The Meath Association gave hope to people in London and shelter and helped get them on their feet," he said.

Cllr Vincent McHugh said he was hoping to go to London and Cllr Gerard Reilly said he is going to attend the parade in New York. Both are travelling "under their own steam" after the council decided to set aside their budget for foreign travel to go towards a feasibility study for a new enterprise centre in the town.

Trim Town Council was recently named as the local authority to claim the lowest expenses in the country, at just €89 per head.

Cllr Brian Collins, Kells Town Council, is travelling to New York in a personal capacity, but will take a few days out to represent the town, and acknowledge the €5,000 donated by the New York-based Breslin family, Kells native bar owners, who contributed €5,000 to the Cross of Kells preservation project. Cllrs Brian Curran and Tommy Grimes are travelling to London at their own expense.

Cllr Joe Reilly, Mayor of Navan, said that, in the case of Navan Town Council, it was intended that one councillor would travel to London for St Patrick's Day. "What we are talking about here is an airfare to London and overnight accommodation. This is not a junket - it is appropriate representation for Meath people who are in London," he said.

Transport Minister and Trim TD Noel Dempsey is travelling to Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, later this week, where he has a number of engagements and meetings with business groups and the Irish community.

His spokesperson said he was conscious of the Taoiseach's request to keep costs to a minimum and would be doing his utmost to market and promote Ireland abroad.