Incoming lord mayor defends €110k salary
Catherine Clancy, Labour, was reacting to criticism from Sinn Féin which said the city cannot afford what it described as one of the highest paid political jobs in Europe.
Ms Clancy — a sister of Labour TD Ciarán Lynch and a sister-in-law of Minister of State Kathleen Lynch — is due to be elected mayor tomorrow night under the terms of a mayoral pact between Fine Gael, Labour, and Fianna Fáil, which sees the chain of office rotate between the three parties.
But Sinn Féin’s leader on Cork City Council, Cllr Chris O’Leary, last night branded the election an “annual charade”.
“It is undemocratic and unrepresentative of the vast majority of the people of Cork. Sinn Féin will oppose the pact nomination rather than rubber stamp the spoils of office being divided out by the cosy consensus of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Labour.”
He said the office costs the city about €235,000 a year, including salary, expenses, an entertainment budget, as well as the use of a free car and driver.
Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for the payment to be reduced to €35,000 and for the deputy mayor’s salary to be abolished.
“It seems that some elements of our political class remain completely disconnected from the harsh realities that most people in this country are facing,” Mr O’Leary said.
But Ms Clancy said the salary level had been linked to that of a TD several years ago and is a matter for council. “I am a full-time political representative. Being lord mayor is a full-time job. There is no doubt that it is a decent salary but it is a reflection of the importance of the office of lord mayor.”
