Labour councillor Michael O’Connell clearly out of touch with ordinary people on expenses issue – O’Leary

Labour councillor Michael O’Connell clearly out of touch with ordinary people on expenses issue – O’Leary Sinn Féin Councillor Chris O’Leary has reacted with amazement and anger to justifications provided by Labour’s Cllr.Michael O’Connell for the fact that Cork City’s councillors ran-up over €75,000 in conference, seminar and travel expenses last year. Cllr. O’Leary said: “I think Cllr. O’Connell’s remarks show just how out of touch with ordinary people he and his Labour party colleagues have become. To say that an overnight allowance of €108 per night barely covers your discretionary costs of attending a conference is infuriating. He is saying this at a time when I have constituents who have to pay rent and feed the family from €180 for an entire week. This is from a member of a party that claims to represent the interests of working families. It’s beyond belief that he would have such an opinion.” “We have to remember that the conference fee almost always covers coffees and meals. Hotel accommodation is paid for by City Council and mileage is vouched so I cannot fathom on what the additional €108 allowance is being spent. I have a serious problem with this.” “Secondly, his claim that we don’t get paid for our time is a bizarre statement. Cllr.O’Connell receives a representation allowance, the same as the rest of the elected members of Cork City Council. So it is rubbish to say that he is not compensated for his time.” “Let me just say that I do attend conferences but I go to ones that I can afford to go to out of my own pocket. I don’t put the onus back on the council. I recently attended a conference on the reform of local government and it cost me €22 bus return from Cork to Dublin. The Sinn Féin councillors and about six other members of Cork City Council do not claim these expenses.” “Has Cllr. O’Connell simply forgotten that because of the budgetary decisions, made by the pact parties, we don’t have the money to repair roads, street lights or to upgrade facilities for the citizens of Cork? I have a very sick constituent for whom I can’t even get a door or window replaced. But that councillors should get ridiculous amounts of money to attend conferences seems to be a priority. Cllr. O’Connell needs to get real.” In the budget meetings before Christmas we put forward alternatives. We asked that an embargo be put on the conference allowances but Labour, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail councillors voted to maintain the allowances at the level at which they are currently. Even the Lord Mayor’s entertainment budget was increased by €30,000. There is a real embedded culture of entitlement amongst councillors representing the pact parties on Cork City Council and there is no hope of changing it unless we challenge it directly and openly.”