IT COSTS between €7,500 and €8,500 to hold each meeting of the Health Service Executive's Western Regional Forum, according to new figures.
The Western Regional Forum is one of four such bodies established in 2005 to replace the 11 health boards as part of the reorganisation of the health service.
The fora, which allow for local political debate on the health services, meet periodically in their respective regions.
The costs incurred by the Western Regional Forum primarily covers travel expenses, catering services, photocopying, administration costs and sound system hire, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE) West.
More than €70,000 was spent on members' travel expenses in 2006, and just over €65,000 in 2007. This drop is explained by a slight fall in attendance in 2007 - 280 attendances by all members in total, compared to 318 in 2006.
The forum has aimed to keep "unnecessary costs" to a minimum by communicating mainly through e-mail and avoiding paper where possible, the HSE West has said. It was replying to a question tabled for this month's forum by Leitrim councillor Gerry Reynolds.
No staff are engaged full time in supporting the regional health forum's work, the HSE West says. In a detailed outline of travel expenses of fora members, it says that the total for 2006 was €71,138.52 . It amounted to €65,496.90 in 2007.
Highest claimants - with furthest to travel - were representatives of Donegal County Council, while two councillors from Galway County and Limerick city claimed nothing in 2006.
In 2007, the same Limerick city councillor, Kieran Walsh (Lab), claimed nothing, as did Galway city councillor Catherine Connolly (Ind).
The HSE West points out that the distance from the furthest location north in Inishowen, Co Donegal, to the furthest point south in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, is about 467 kilometres.
Travel and subsistence is calculated according to Department of Finance rates, it says.
