€20,000 foreign travel spend planned

ALMOST €20,000 is being spent by Wexford County Council sending councillors and council officials across the globe, mainly for St Patrick’s Day events, the meeting heard.

The biggest expense was sending the leas cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Whelan and one official, New Ross District Manager Sinead Casey to attend the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York having been invited by the New York Wexford Association. The five day trip’s stated purpose is ‘ to continue links and support with Wexford people living in New York at the parade and to promote the Kennedy Wexford link and meet with groups and individuals’.

The estimated cost of sending the Mayor of Wexford Cllr Frank Staples, Cllr George Lawlor and a council official to Wexford’s twin town Coueron is €1,500.

€2,000 is being sent sending Cllr Staples and two members of Wexford Borough Council’s twinning committee to Fleures in Belgium from April 14 to April 17. The stated purpose of the trip is to formally sign a triangular twinning agreement with Fleures and Coueron.

A trip to Savannah from April 3 to April 7 is expected to cost €7,329. Chairman Cllr Paddy Kavanagh and two officials will be attending the trip to promote tourism in Wexford and to develop links with business in Savannah. This arises following an invitation from the World Trade Centre in Savannah.

Cllr Kavanagh said all of the trips are invitations which Wexford County Council and municipal councils have accepted.

Cllr Robbie Ireton asked why no councillors were attending the London St Patrick’s Day Parade, saying he is paying for the cost of his own trip.

‘I won’t be claiming any expenses from the council. Is noone going because it is so close to this island?’ he said.

Cllr Malcolm Byrne proposed the motion which was seconded by Cllr Jim Moore and approved by a majority of councillors.