Taxpayer foots €250k bill for Harvard course

The taxpayer has had to foot a €250,000 bill for sending top local government officials on a management course at Harvard University.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan has revealed that since 2008 it has cost $313,550 (€253,050) to fund 28 senior local government officials in a three-week long management programme, ‘Senior Executives in State and Local Government’, at the prestigious US university.

The body charged with collecting the controversial household charge, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), is footing the bill for the course. Its own chief executive, Paul McSweeney, is attending the programme this year.

The costs do not include the travel expenses of the officials concerned and they are funded separately by their respective local authorities.

Mr Hogan revealed the costs in written Dáil responses to People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins.

Last night, Mr Boyd Barrett described the costs as “absolutely outrageous” and questioned the need for council officials to attend a course at Harvard.

Mr Hogan confirmed that the LGMA is to spend $80,150 (€64,670) on sending seven top local government officials to the US college this year. The seven in the sold-out 2012 programme includes the manager of Dún Laoighaire and Rathdown Co Council, Owen Keegan.

According to Mr Hogan, the course fee per participant this year is $11,450 (€9,239) — an increase on the $11,200 (€9,037) that was charged the previous three years.

The programme at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard this year runs from June 4 to June 22 and July 9 to July 27.

Others on the 2012 programme from Ireland include the Head of Finance at Clare and Waterford Co Councils, the Head of IT at Fingal Co Council and Directors of Service at Offaly and Wexford Co Councils.