Use of taxpayer funds for court action ‘illegal’

A TD has claimed it may be illegal for a town council in Cork to use taxpayers’ money to mount a legal challenge against Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s plans to abolish the country’s 80 town councils.

A row broke out yesterday after Cork East TD Tom Barry (FG) said Midleton Town Council “couldn’t and shouldn’t use” €50,000 of taxpayers’ money to stop Mr Hogan from axing the town councils next year.

“People don’t give money to town councils for it to go into litigation. I think this will go down really poorly with the public. If there was a poll done in Midleton, I believe the people would say no. They could have used the money for something better. It’s bizarre,” Mr Barry said.