Payouts of up to €16k as town councils axed

Bumper compensation payments will be given to councillors when town councils are abolished next year as the Coalition moves to overhaul local government.

Parachute payments of up to €16,000 could be paid to long-serving councillors with the abolition of 80 town councils. Environment Minister Phil Hogan has also left the door open on the possibility of voters directly electing mayors in cities outside Dublin in the future too.

He and officials yesterday launched the Local Government Bill, which will see radical reforms, including reducing local authorities from 114 to 31 and cutting the number of councillors from 1,627 to 949.