Highest-paid councillor revealed as Mayo county councillors receive over €1.2 million in payments in 2023

EXPENSES to elected members of Mayo County Council have risen by over €13,000 last year and now stand at over €1.2 million.

A grand total of €1,261,683.21 was paid to 30 county councillors in 2023, €13,033 more than the €1,177,134 paid out in 2022.

This includes a €34,005 gratuity payment to Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Smyth, who retired from public office last April. He received a total of €48,124.92 in payments in 2023, the fifth-highest of any county councillor in Mayo.

Other separate gratuity payments to former members of the local authority include former TD and Senator Michelle Mulherin (€28,224), Mark Winters (€9,609), Myles Staunton (€9,258) and Peter Clarke (€9,356). Excluding Cllr Smyth, this brings the total number of gratuities paid to former members to €56,447.

Gratuities are paid to former county councillors after they turn 50 according to the number of years they served in offices.

Politicians who win seats in the Dáil and Seanad are also entitled to these one-off payments.

The bulk of payments made to county councillors - €863,590.55 in total - went towards their remuneration payment of €28,868.98.

Knockmore-based Independent councillor Séamus Weir, who will not be contesting the upcoming local elections, claimed €56,064.84 in 2023.

Cllr Weir served as Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council for the first six months of the year, which entitled him to claim a €14,794.52 allowance.

The Knockmore-based representative also claimed €1,169.14 for an official visit to New York in March 2023, as did Cllrs Richard Finn, Donna Sheridan and Seán Carey.

The second-biggest recipient of expenses was Castlebar-based Independent Michael Kilcoyne, who received €49,721.

Of that, he received €6,500 for chairing a strategic policy committee and €6,170 for serving as Cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District.

The third highest was Ballinrobe-based councillor Michael Burke (Fine Gael) who was paid €48,390.

This figure included €6,500 for chairing a strategic policy committee and €4,969 for attending nine training conferences.

The fourth highest payment of €48,368 was made to Foxford Councillor Neil Cruise, whose expenses included €8,170 for attending 17 conferences.

All but ten members of the council received expenses totalling €78,136.07 for attending training and conferences.

County councillors who did not claim any expenses for training and conferences last year were: Ger Deere, Blackie Gavin, Adrian Forkan, Michael Kilcoyne, Al McDonnell, Paul McNamara, Brendan Mulroy, Jarlath Munnelly, Donna Sheridan and Michael Smyth.

Fianna Fáil county councillor Adrian Forkan, who was co-opted last year in place of Cllr Smyth, received the least of any councillor with €18,177.36.