Councillors’ expenses for year top £766,000 mark

Councillors’ expenses for year top £766,000 mark

28 June 2017

LOCAL politicians cost the ratepayers of Newry, Mourne and Down Council just over £766,000 in the last financial year.

Latest figures released by the council show the area’s 42 councillors were paid £679,899 and an additional £86,295 in mileage, accommodation and subsistence fees up until the end of March.

Each councillor is paid a basic allowance of £14,342 but a number were not paid this amount following their departure from the local authority. 

Following their election to the Assembly in March last year, the UUP’s Harold McKee and the SDLP’s Colin McGrath were replaced by Jill Macauley and John Trainor respectively, who did not serve a full term. 

In addition, former Alliance councillor Patrick Clarke, who was replaced by Andrew McMurray last year, also did not serve a full term.

In addition to the basic allowance, a number of councillors receive a special responsibility payment which is paid to those who have been appointed to posts such as chair and vice-chairs of the various statutory committees.

A payment of £3,391 was paid to Patrick Brown (Alliance), Robert Burgess (UUP), Dermot Curran, Laura Devlin, Mark Murnin and Declan McAteer (all SDLP), Valerie Harte, Mickey Larkin and Kate Loughran (all Sinn Fein) and Garth Craig (DUP).

New figures released by the authority reveal in addition to their basic salary, councillors were paid almost £70,000 in mileage and almost £16,700 for attending conferences and associated travel and subsistence costs.

Not surprisingly, the highest paid councillor was former chairwoman Gillian Fitzpatrick (SDLP). She received a total of £40,457, while her DUP deputy Garth Craig was paid £26,625.

However, the second highest paid councillor was Sinn Fein’s Mickey Ruane who received almost £27,500 which included payments over several months when he took over the council chairmanship from Downpatrick councillor Naomi Bailie who was ill in hospital. His mileage payout was £4,281, with public transport, travel and subsistence costs amounting to £2,169

The largest mileage claim — £6,828 — was understandably run up by the council chairwoman with Sinn Fein’s Terry Hearty, who lives in rural South Armagh, running up a mileage claim of £4,220.

At the other end of the constituency, Rowallane councillors Harry Harvey (DUP) and Terry Andrews (SDLP), who attend various committee meetings in Newry, ran up mileage claims of £3,905 and £3,702 respectively.

Rowallane DUP councillor Billy Walker — who does not drive — claimed no mileage expenses but was paid £3,055 to cover his public transport and other travel costs which include taxi fares. 

Sinn Fein councillors Stephen Burns, Sinead Ennis, Valerie Harte, Pol O Gribin, along with the SDLP’s Gareth Sharvin, claimed no mileage or any other additional expenses.