Councillors divided over €10k personal safety measure allowance

Councillors across Meath can now avail of a €10,000 security allowance under reforms agreed by the Department of Local Government.

The increase in the allowance from €2,500 has been condemned by Oldcastle councillor, Peter Caffrey who described it as “unjustifiable.”

The allowance can be used to cover personal safety measures at a councillors home which has been recommended by Gardai.

Cllr Peter Caffrey said he strongly disagrees with the allowance.

“It is unjustifiable to grant local councillors personal security stipends for private residences, with many citizens facing rising living cost on a daily basis. One in five people cannot pay their electricity bills at the moment and fuel prices are very high I find as a local representative I would be isolating myself from the community I represent and creating an unfair divide. I definitely will not be claiming this.

“I see no threat at all in being a councillor. Coming from a rural constituency, which includes Moylagh Ballinacree, Ballinlough, Ross, Crossakiel and Oldcastle, my focus is on better roads and infrastructure, housing for our young people, and more pressing issues than our security.

“I feel strongly that if someone needs security they should provide it themselves. It is not up to the government or local councils to do so. This is a complete abuse of public funding.

“Under the current rules, councillors can avail of €10,000 and I feel this is extreme squandering of tax payers money which could be much better spent on roads in our local area especially in the north Meath area where some roads are in very bad condition.”

This allowance was introduced in September 2023 with initial funding of €2,500 to cover 50per cent of installing security measures in councillors’ homes, but now the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) confirmed that the improved security allowance had been officially approved by Minister John Cummins and Minister James Brown, with an increase to a €10,000 lifetime maximum to be paid at 100 per cent.

To receive this money councillors’ must have their security needs reviewed by a Garda Crime Prevention Officer and carried out by private security authority registered installers.

“This is taking up a lot of Garda resources which i feel could be put to far better use in the community”, Cllr Caffrey said.

However Cllr Alan Tobin, who had a frightening experience during the 2024 local elections, said the funding was necessary.

“The way politics has gone now, security is needed.”

Immediately following the June 2024 election Cllr Tobin was confronted by a man wielding a hammer who told him “I should have done you before the elections, but I'll do you now.”

“What annoyed me most about it, was that I was on the phone to my wife and she heard it all. I don't want to involve my wife and children in politics. I want security in order to protect them, not for myself,” he said.

A circular to councillors from LAMA explains that the new allowance came into operation on 3rd July, increasing the lifetime amount to €10,000.

“The new lifetime cap of €10,000 takes account of previous claims made by members as well as the retrospective reimbursement of costs paid by the member themselves under this scheme.

The personal safety measures covered must have been first recommended in a report by An Garda Síochána, following a security review by their local Crime Prevention Officer (CPO). It is for the member to decide which of these measures to implement. It remains the case that any costs claimed by a member under the Security Allowance for any works undertaken must not have been claimed previously.”

- Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme