Local councillors expenses claims published

Newly published figures from Cork County Council show that the expenses claimed by local coun

cillors in North Cork for early 2021 are on a par with figures claimed by council members as a whole.

Between January and June of 2021 the six councillors of Fermoy

MD claimed approximate figures of between €13,000 and €17,000 in expenses, figures which are broadly on a par with all councillors in Cork County Council for the first six months of the year.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn claimed €17,031.28 in expenses, while Cllr Kay Dawson claimed €16,878.60. Cllr Deirdre O’Brien claimed € 14,589.86, Cllr Frank Roche claimed € 14,394.50, while Cllr William O’Leary claimed €14,299.32. Cllr Noel McCarthy claimed €13,972.56.

Cllrs Kay Dawson, Frank O’Flynn, William O’Leary and Frank Roche all attended 39 meetings apiece from January to June of 2021, while Noel McCarthy attended 38. Cllr Deirdre O’Brien attended 43.

Meetings include full council meetings, monthly municipal district meetings, and any other committee meetings that councillors are members of.

The full figures for 2021 will be published once the council has completed its reconciliation process.

2020 FIGURES IN FULL

In 2020, Cllr Frank O’Flynn claimed €43,217.96 for the year, while Cllr Kay Dawson claimed €37,233.75 in total. Cllr Deirdre O’Brien claimed €33,790.07 that year, while Cllr Frank Roche recouped €31,947.88 in expenses. Meanwhile Noel McCarthy claimed €30,873.58 and William O’Leary €30,537.09.

Of all the councillors, only Cllr O’Flynn travelled internationally in 2020, to Boston. He travelled there as part of an Economic Study Trip in February, as chair of the Economic Development and Enterprise Policy Committee.

Last May, government voted to increase the basic salary paid to local representatives from €18,706 to €25,788.

From December 2021, all elected representatives are capped at a Local Representation Allowance (LRA) of €1,560 for the year, which must be receipted. This replaces the Annual Expenses Allowance.

The € 1,560 is claimed in advance of the year, and it is to be vouched for (receipts and invoices kept as proof of expenditure). The is LRA dependent on elected members attending at least 50% of ‘relevant local authority’ meetings.

The LRA is separate to travel and subsistence claims, and guidelines note that elected members are required to use public transport where practicable.

REPRESENTATION

As a whole, the Fermoy MD is better represented by women than the national average, with two women elected amongst six councillors in total (33%). In fact, Cork County Council as a whole is better represented, where of the 54 councillors in Cork County Council currently sitting, almost 30% (16) are women. Katie Murphy, a Fine Gael councillor from Schull, resigned her seat last November. Nationally, just 25% of councillors are women, and 23% of TDs.

Of the 18 TDs representing Cork in the 33rd Dáil, one is a woman - Holly Cairns TD from Cork South-West. The 32nd Dáil also had just one woman TD from Cork, whereas the 31st

Dáil had two.

As of 2022, the Cabinet includes four women as ministers: Norma Foley, Heather

Humphreys, Catherine Martin and Helen McEntee, out of a total of 15 ministers.