Cork councils spend over €48,000 sending councillors and staff to US

Councillors and officials representing Cork city and county on St Patrick’s Day trips to the US have racked up flight and accommodation costs of almost €50,000 this year.

Last week saw seven people travel to the US to represent Cork City Council as part of the Lord Mayor’s visit to Cork’s twin city San Franscisco and to New York, costing €10,139.63 for flights, €6,696.80 for accommodation, and €278.83 for visitor visa costs.

That trip was followed by 11 representatives of Cork County Council travelling to New York, Chicago, and Detroit — costing €13,488.69 for flights and €17,804 for accommodation.

The Echo understands a further three county council representatives also travelled to the US, but cost details were not provided.

The eight-day city council excursion cost €17,115.26, while the 11-day county council tour of duty cost €31,292.69, totalling between the two local authorities €48,407.95.

The seven-person city council delegation, which included two separate city visits, cost taxpayers an average of €2,445.04 per delegate — while the 11-person county council group cost an average of €2,844.79 per delegate.

Last year, Cork City Council spent €18,558.40 on flights and hotels on its St Patrick’s Day expedition to the US, while Cork County Council spent €36,405.68.

This year’s City Council delegation included the Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Fergal Dennehy, Lady Mayoress Karen Brennan, Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon, and Independent Ireland councillor Noel O’Flynn, with council officials Cormac Ó Súilleabháin, Nuala Stewart, and Niall O’Keeffe.

The city council visit ran from March 2, with the delegation going to San Francisco, until March 6, when four members travelled home — while Mr Dennehy, Ms Brennan, and Ms Stewart went to New York for two days before returning home to Cork early on Monday.

MAYOR

The county delegation included the Mayor of the County of Cork Mary Linehan Foley, deputy mayor Ian Doyle, Fine Gael councillor Michael Hegarty, Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley, Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin, and Independent councillor William O’Leary.

Accompanying the councillors were Cork County Council chief executive Moira Murrell and council officials Eileen Coleman, Karina Cremin, Ger Barry, and Keith Jones.

It is understood that assistant chief executive Niall Healy also travelled, as did Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll and Independent councillor Ben Dalton O’Sullivan, but they were not included on the council’s press release, and no cost details were furnished.

The county council outing began in New York on March 7, attending various gatherings and events there before heading on to Chicago and Detroit, and back again to the Big Apple.

Both delegations visited social, cultural, and business events fostering connections with Cork’s Irish-American diaspora.

Upon his return home, Mr Dennehy announced that a number of initiatives will be launched as a result of the city council’s US trip.

This autumn, Cork Public Museum will host the world’s first Pride flag — the original Gilbert Baker Rainbow Flag — marking its first ever exhibition outside the US.

Cork City Council’s local enterprise office will launch a programme supporting Cork tech SMEs exploring opportunities in San Francisco.

A county council spokesperson said its visit would “provide a valuable platform to promote Cork county’s economic and tourism strengths while further strengthening existing partnerships with Cork county and the city of Detroit”.

Among her duties, Ms Linehan Foley will attend the New York and Chicago St Patrick’s Day parades, while Mr Doyle will attend the Detroit parade.

CORKTOWN

While there, he will visit Corktown, an area settled by many Cork emigrants during the Famine.

Asked whether delegates could claim further expenses incurred on their US trip, a county council spokesperson said that in accordance with Department of Finance rules, subsistence cannot be claimed where councils have already paid for accommodation and meals.