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.