Why did Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co pay €10k last year for Clr Barry Ward's Masters?

[RainyDay]

Thanks to the Dundrum Gazette for publishing the full details of DLR councillors expenses. The report from the council minutes in April conveniently omitted the Education category. The Gazette published details this week of some details left out from last week's edition, including the €10k odd for Cllr Barry Ward (FG) Masters in Economic Policy?

Given that the State is more than bankrupt, do we really have €10k to pay out to further educate a barrister who is unlikely to have a role in the council in the long term?

[MPB]

[QUOTE=RainyDay;4107522]Thanks to the Dundrum Gazette for publishing the full details of DLR councillors expenses. The report from the council minutes in April conveniently omitted the Education category. The Gazette published details this week of some details left out from last week's edition, including the €10k odd for Cllr Barry Ward (FG) Masters in Economic Policy?

Given that the State is more than bankrupt, do we really have €10k to pay out to further educate a barrister who is unlikely to have a role in the council in the long term?[/QUOTE

Special needs kids get cut, while Barristers and councillors get free education.

Hospital services get reduced while HSE Executives remain.

Taxes get increased while useless Quangoes, useless Govt Depts and useless local Co Councils remain.

Austerity seems to be for us and not for them. My guess is that this crisis will correct the imbalance.

[RainyDay]

Austerity seems to be for us and not for them. My guess is that this crisis will correct the imbalance.

Indeed it does. Though even in the good times, I've no idea why a council would pay for a Masters degree for a councillor - just seems crazy.

[BlackLion]

they are recession proof and we are just the plebs that have to be stepped on so they don't soil themselves. i wish there wasn't so many headless chickens and sheple in ireland.

[The Saltees Eagle]

Would the Revenue see this as a taxable benefit?

[DeputyEdo]

Why don't you contact them and ask them to explain themselves. Also contact the counciller in question and ask him is he fine with taking money (he probably didn't need) while SBAs and nurses etc are being cut.

[stopdoingstuff]

Where is the evidence that this is the case? Not disputing it but I see no mention of it in any link.

[David Cochrane]

Where is the evidence that this is the case? Not disputing it but I see no mention of it in any link.

You can check for yourself, the Dundrum Gazette is online.

[sic transit]

This is not uncommon in organisations, mostly private. That said I was in college with a lady who was being supported by DoF. The HSE also had( and may still have) a whole range of training programmes in the likes of Microsoft Office courses that anyone could sign up to whether they would ever need them or not.

It's called personal development and if someone can present a reasonable agreement as to why it may be of benefit to them and the organisation they tend to get signed off on. Sadly personal development is the first thing to go. I'd have no issue with this payment as long as the council gets some tangible benefit from his new knowledge.

[RainyDay]

This is not uncommon in organisations, mostly private.

Education supports within an employer is a different situation entirely. Ward is not an employee of the council. He is an elected representative, most likely with a fairly short stay in the council on the cards.