This article is from page 11 of the 2006-10-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
SENIOR members of Clare County Council yesterday defended overseas trips by councillors, claiming that they represented value for money to the taxpayer.
In recent weeks, local authority delegations from Clare have visited Barcelona, Norwich, Sweden and Scotland with the cost to the taxpayer approaching an estimated €35,000.
However, the council’s use of Ryanair on all the trips has cutback costs. Chairman of the council’s Transport Special Policy Committee (SPC), PJ Kelly stated that the trip to Prestwick in Scotland cost €13 each way along with taxes for each member.
Cllr Kelly was leading a delegation into coastal protection and coastal erosion in Scotland, while the 11strong group also investigated piers and harbours and sewerage plants in Scotland.
Cllr Kelly said, “The trip was unbelievable value for money. The trip was for five days, but I know that by day two, some of the lads would have loved to have come home, as we came across some atrocious weather.
“It was worthwhile and very strenuous. It was hard work. We could learn a lot from the way the Scots do things and they could learn a lot from us.”
Cllr Kelly said each member of the delegation was given £160 “pocket money”. He said, “You wouldn’t have been going home with money in your pocket.”
A separate council delegation headed for Sweden to investigate a town’s plans to become fossil-free by 2030.
Leader of that delegation, chairperson of the council’s Special Policy Committee for the Environment, Cllr Patricia McCarthy, said that the trip offered good value for money.
“You get out what you put into it and we were well prepared and the trip was beneficial.
“It is important that these trips do take place and I am very grateful for the people that did go along as it means time away from their families,” she said.
The trip to Sweden was Cllr Brian Meaney’s first trip overseas with the council in his two years in office. He is a regular critic of council’s overseas trips.
“I have always maintained that if a trip had educational value, I would consider it and the trip to Sweden was beneficial in the extreme . . .
“We saw what can be done and this area has shown the area the way forward in becoming fossil fuel free and a we also saw model whereby we could recover heat lost in the chimney stacks at Moneypoint and provide hot water for the town of Kilrush.”