Down Longford's Memory Lane: Chairman accused of getting £10,000 for “doing nothing”

In a wideranging attack on the whole “junkets” issue, Peter Murphy called on his colleagues to “put a bit of decency back into Longford County Council” and said it was “a gross insult” to the taxpayers of the county to have astronomical service charges foisted on them when the chairman could draw an allowance of £10,000 for “sitting in a chair and doing noithing”.

Pointing out that the figure of  £10,000 was “not an allowance but a tax-free salary”, Cllr Murphy said the chairman was allowed to draw this huge sum of money in addition to his expenses and he asked his colleagues if they had “all gone mad” to condone this type of behaviour.

“It is a pity we didn't hold this meeting in the Market Square to let the public see what really goes on in this Chamber” said Cllr Murphy “we are saving £20,000 on abolishing disabled persons grants and essential repairs grants and we are spending over £50,000 on conferences and £10,000 on a chairman's allowance.......it is nothing short of disgraceful”.