Mayo County Council employs 188 technical staff which cost the council €13 million in wages in 2008, according to independent Councillor Frank Durcan. The councillor brought up the figures while the council was discussing the NRA roads’ budget and the effects the cold weather after Christmas had on the roads network in the county. Cllr Durcan was hitting out at what he saw as “bad management” by the council executive, which combined with a recent drop in funding from the Government he said was hurting the council’s finances.
“The problem in this council is down to whoever occupies those seats (referring to the council executive ),” Cllr Durcan said. “In 2008 we paid our 188 technical staff in the region of €13 million, architects, archaeologists, fire chiefs, and the rest. We have 188 technical staff in offices all over the county yet we can’t deliver roads and water to the people. That €13 million didn’t include the back up staff, the paper, the telephones, and everything that goes with running these offices. And even with all that we still had to go outside the county and pay another €5 million to consultants, that’s €18 million on professionals.
“We are getting the money but we are not spending it properly. If that was put into infrastructure we’d have good roads and water going into every house in the county. What value are we getting for the money we are spending on the technical staff?” he asked.
Cllr Durcan also hit out at the political parties in the council. “The elected members have been subservient to the management for the past number of years,” he accused. However Fine Gael Cllr Tom Connolly hit back asking: “If you think you are so good, why don’t you apply for the county manager’s job?” to which Cllr Durcan replied: “I was employed 52 years ago as a clerical officer here, and I was told then to get out, because any man who thinks is done for here.”
Westport based Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn raised a similar issue in regards to the NRA roads’ budget. “When you take €4.5 million out of the budget for design, you are left with €7 million which will be spent on the roads, but we’ll end up spending €13 million. If we were a business we’d be gone bust by now,” he said. He also hit out at the allocation in the budget for design work on the Westport to Bohola road. “The Westport to Castlebar road has had more reports done on it at this stage than any other road in the country, yet we are going to do more and we are going to pay for some architect to push a teaspoon around, and we don’t have enough money to fill potholes in the road. I don’t think that’s on.”
