'Junket culture' remark sparks angry debate

A newly-elected Mayo county councillor has once again found himself at odds with colleagues over his repeated references to a "junket culture" on the council.

Not for the first time, Aontú Cllr Paul Lawless raised the matter of trips abroad for councillors when he told last week's meeting of the local authority: “In my short time in the council, it has approved more trips for members than anything else, with six trips and 17 councillors approved for them so far.

“I’ve been roundly criticised in the chamber here for raising my concerns and highlighting what I think is appearing to be a junket culture. While I acknowledge there are perhaps some worthwhile trips, I don’t think it is too much for us to ask what trips we as councillors accept and what we should not."

However, Cllr Lawless was sharply criticised by colleagues who accused him of "grandstanding" in an attempt to get headlines for his upcoming general election campaign.

Cllr Lawless had asked for projected costs and a cost-benefit analysis of overseas trips by delegations of councillors and officials.

"I do think all public expenditure should be scrutinised. In this trip before us for consideration (three nights in Chicago), I certainly have no idea how many will go and what the cost will be for councillors.

“I think we also should be reviewing the trips we actually go on. There were four approved in our previous meeting and one before that, so since the local elections, 17 councillors have gone away and come back and there is no review coming from those.

“For example, at the last meeting, we approved five councillors to go to the Netherlands to see the active travel measures there. I would like to see a benefit from that, and that all the information would come back to the councillors in this chamber. Will it further the active travel funding withdrawn in Ballyhaunis or the projects in Knock that people want to see?” 

Cllr Lawless said the trips needed to be reviewed "in a dignified way".

"I was the only councillor allowed to be shouted down in the last meeting when I raised this. Perhaps some of the [trips] are hard work but that is not giving value for money or a sense to people we represent in terms of what is happening. Hard work in itself does not mean these trips are worthwhile.

“We have an oversight function as councillors and all of us take our representation role really seriously and it occupies a lot of our time. But how can we exercise our oversight function if we can’t even discuss it here, because my experience is we approve every [trip] that comes before us and anyone who challenges such expenditure will be shouted at."

Cllr Lawless asked that future proposed trips come "with an outline of the costs" and that a report be given to members afterwards on the benefits of the trip. 

"My understanding is that the cost to the ratepayers is €60,000 a year and that is not to be sniffed at."

A series of councillors responded angrily to Cllr Lawless’ proposal, with many reiterating that without reaching out to the rest of the world, Mayo would not enjoy so much of the progress it has experienced over the years, in terms of tourism and amenity developments, the attraction of multi-nationals and overall progress to the landscape.

The longest-serving councillor in the chamber, Fianna Fáil's Al McDonnell said it "could be years before the seeds are reaped" of a visit abroad, so it was not possible to quantify the value of such trips in the short term.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Damien Ryan said it was very easy to be populist and make charges, but the opportunity to "promote your county at a number of events in a calendar year should never be avoided".

“The city of New York grinds to a halt once a year and if we were not to be there on St Patrick’s Day for the three million with links back to Mayo, we would not be doing our job. We could not allow a situation where we don't go out and recognise all the organisations and those with Mayo links. That day is the height of their year and it is very important we are there. Any promotion we can do for Mayo can’t be overestimated. Let’s stop the grandstanding and point-scoring. We’ve got what we’ve got because we represent our county well.” 

Several more councillors angrily disputed the cost-benefit analysis contention by Cllr Lawless, with Fine Gael Cllr Donna Sheridan saying this same topic took up so much time at the previous meeting, adding: “We can’t have this at every meeting. It’s grandstanding. Clearly you are running for election and trying to get headlines. Put a proposal to the group in advance of our meetings and have it voted on or not.” 

Cathaoirleach Cllr John O’Hara told Cllr Lawless: “Put a motion together on this for the next meeting and we’ll have a vote on it. If you want to run this county you have to get up and move and if you don’t talk to people you will get nothing."