This article is from page 2 of the 2014-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
A TOTAL of € 435,868.80 is to be paid out to councillors who will not be returning to Clare County Council next week.
The eleven Clare county councillors who have left the council, either through retirement or losing their seats, can expect a retirment gratuity payment up to a maximum of € 61,112.12.
Dual councillors, those sitting on both a town and county council, will only receive a gratuity payment from the county council, although some may be entitled to a payment for time served on the town council prior to joining the county council.
Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind), who annouced her retirement from the council prior to the local election, will receive the maximum payment of € 61,112.20 for 35 years service.
Councillors that have served on the council since May 2000, are entitled to a percentatge of their annual sal- ary for every year served since then.
An ex-gratia payment is also added on to this payment for every consecutive year served prior to 2000, up to a maximum of 20 years.
All councillors must also be over 50 years of age to collect their windfall.
For Mayor of Clare Joe Arkins (FG), and councillors Brian Meaney (FF), Tony Mulqueen (FG), Pascal Fitzgerald (Labour), Sean McLoughlin (FG), Oliver Garry (FG), Sean McLoughlin (FG) and Pat Keane (FF), the payment is expected to go some way towards easing the disapointment of losing their seats at the weekend.
Cllr Arkins is expected to receive € 47,541.43; Cllrs Meaney, Fitzgerald and Garry can expect € 33,448; while Cllr Keane will receive € 53,255.27; Cllr Mulqueen € 16,724 and Cllr McLoughlin € 8,362. Meanwhile Cllr Sonny Scanlon (FG) and Tommy Brennan (Ind), who will also retire from the council, are to receive € 57,540.75 each, and Michael Kelly (FF) is to get € 33,448. TODAY Day will st a rt ple a sa n t a n d h e a t u p t o 17c bu t c h a n c e o f a fte rn o o n sh o we rs.