COUNCILLORS ARE to take a 5 per cent cut from this month in the annual payment they receive as local authority members.
Those serving on city and county councils will see a drop of €880 a year in their “representational payment” from €17,604 to €16,724. Public representatives on borough councils will see a reduction of €440, from €8,802 to €8,362, and the town council payment will go down by €220, from €4,401 to €4,181.
The representational payment, introduced in 2002, was designed to provide practical support for elected members in their work without actually providing a wage.
It is set at 25 per cent of a senator’s salary for city and county councillors, with proportionate payments for members of other councils.
The Department of the Environment wrote to councils to inform them of the reductions. They are being introduced under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. The circular said the department may be in further contact about how the legislation would affect expense allowances claimed by councillors.
