Louth County Council audit report notes €1.3million Fleadh Cheoil debt remains unfunded

A statutory audit report carried out on Louth County Council’s Annual Financial Report for 2021 has noted that a 1.3 million debt that arose when Drogheda hosted the Fleadh Cheoil in 2018 and 2019 still remains unfunded and on the council's books.

The report, which was published this week, flagged the debt and noted that the money was used for providing cash flow facilities for hosting the event.

Responding in the report, Chief Executive Joan Martin commented that:

“A proposal to fund this debit balance over a number of years from the revenue account was presented to the Council members in 2021 but the proposal was rejected by the members. 

“This will, therefore, remain as an unfunded balance on our capital account until a funding source is identified.”

In 2021 Louth Councillors voted against a proposal to write off the debt.

At the time the Chief Executive spoke about the significant cost of the Fleadh and that the council found it difficult to get information on cost from other councils who previously had hosted the festival.

The Chief Executive said that due to the fact that the sponsors were hard to find, and that many hospitality businesses were hit hard by the pandemic and unable to provide sponsorship as was previously expected, she believed that the best course of action was for the Council to foot the €1.3 million bill, in annual payments of €100,000 for the next 15 years.

A number of councillors raised concerns around the proposal and questioned how the €100,000 a year would be financed over the next 15 years if the proposal had been accepted while others questioned why Louth taxpayers should be liable.

However, others who supported the motion such as  Fianna Fáil’s Cllr John Sheridan expressed concern that if the council didn’t take up the debt, that it could land at the feet of the volunteers who organised the Fleadh.