Council jobs threatened in budget blowout

A LARGE number of jobs could be shed by Ireland’s biggest local authority as it attempts to balance its books.

Cork County Council, which employs more than 2,700 people, has confirmed its wage bill will have to be cut as part of a package to balance its budget.

The local authority has confirmed a government directive aimed at achieving payroll reductions of 3% means it will have to cut its wage bill by €4.6 million next year. This alone would be equivalent to axing more than 100 full-time jobs.