Councillors defend St Patrick’s Day ‘junket’ to US

TWO councillors have defended a controversial decision by their cash-strapped local authority to spend thousands of euro on sending and eight-member delegation to New York for St Patrick’s Day.

Waterford County Council is paying for seven councillors (three from Fine Gael and two each from Labour and Fianna Fáil) plus county manager Ray O’Dwyer to travel stateside.

The entire cost of the trip is being met by the council from a fund provided for in the annual estimates.

However with the local authority currently immersed in major controversy over the introduction of a new €150 flat charge to fund the refuse collection service, and with its dire overall financial situation well documented, the decision to splash out on the New York trip has drawn widescale adverse public comment.

The lone Sinn Féin councillor, Brendan Mansfield, turned down an invitation to travel with the party, describing it as a “junket” and claiming that it is hugely “insensitive” at this time.

However one of the two Fianna Fáil councillors said the party will be using the occasion to vigorously promote the Kennedy/McCain Bill which, if passed, will be hugely beneficial to the thousands of illegal Irish immigrants in the US.

“We will be campaigning for that bill in every way that we can, and I have no apologies to make to anyone for doing so,” James Tobin.

His Fine Gael colleague, Paudie Coffey, said councillors have met ex-pats who are deeply concerned about new legislation that is being enacted in the US Senate.

“Anyone we can do for these people we should do, and that will be the major purpose of our visit’, said Mr. Coffey.

The travelling party is expected to spend five days in the US. While no exact cost breakdown has been provided, it will certainly amount to a five-figure sum.