People got value for my €82,000, says Sheehan

THE highest-paid councillor in the Republic last night insisted the people of Cork got value for money for his €82,000 earnings.

Thu, 03 Aug, 2006 - 01:00

Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

Former Cork County Council Mayor, PJ Sheehan says he worked 16 hours a day and had little left of the cash after taxes and expenses were deducted.

The former Fine Gael TD was last year paid a mayor’s allowance of €30,750, an annual allowance of €22,000, councillor’s salary of €15,000 plus another €15,000 in domestic and foreign expenses.

“It looks like roses, but it isn’t,” the veteran councillor said.

“I paid €30,272 in income tax and there are not many people in the country who can say that.

“I also had to hire my own driver, unlike the Lord Mayor of Cork city who has two chauffeurs.

“The people of Cork get good value for money from their county mayor.

“All the foreign trips undertaken by the county mayor are to promote Cork abroad. It is a lot of hard work,” he said.

Former Cork City Lord Mayor, Sean Martin was named as the second-highest paid councillor in Munster in a survey carried out by the Irish Independent, and insisted the local authority workload puts TDs to shame.

“Councillors work a lot harder than some TDs and Senators, so we need to look at the whole system and how it works.

“The salary for Lord Mayor of Cork city is out there in public and nobody is doing anything behind closed doors,” he said.

Mr Martin, a brother of Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin, was Lord Mayor of Cork City in the first half of 2005 and benefited from the city Lord Mayor’s allowance being far higher, at €82,000, than anywhere else in the Republic — dwarfing the €53,500 paid to the Dublin counterpart.

MUNSTER TOP SEVEN:

1. PJ Sheehan, (left) FG, Cork County Council (Bantry): €82,848.

2. Sean Martin, FF, Cork City Council (South Central): €69,434.

3. Michael Creed, FG, Cork County Council (Macroom): €67,001.

4. Deirdre Clune, FG, Cork City Council (South East): €63,599.

5. Michael Hourigan, FG Limerick City Council (North West): €59,591.

6. Ned O’Sullivan, FF, Kerry County Council (Listowel): €59,422.

7. Diamuid Scully, FG, Limerick City Council (South East): €59,198.

LEINSTER TOP SEVEN:

1. Mary Hilda Cavanagh, FG, Kilkenny County Council (Ballyragget): €65,598.

2. Michael Conaghan (left), Lab, Dublin City Council (Ballyfermot): €55,084.

3. Catherine Byrne, FG, Dublin City Council (South West Inner City): €53,696.