Cost of Louth County Council Paddy's Day trip revealed

Louth County Council spent €17,034.36 on sending a delegation to New York for St Patrick’s Day this year, the Dundalk Democrat can exclusively reveal.

The Louth delegation included An Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Conor Keelan, as first citizen of Louth, Cllr Kevin Meenan, Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Municipal District, Cllr Michelle Hall, Mayor of Drogheda, and Cllr Paula Butterly, Cathaoirleach of Ardee Municipal District.

Louth County Council officials, Director of Service, Joe McGuinness and Thomas McEvoy, Director of Service, also joined the delegation on the trip which ran from 14th March to 19th March.

The figures obtained under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, show that a net total of €4,275 was spent on five return tickets to New York with Councillor Conor Keelan paying for his own airfare and Councillors Hall and Meenan paying for their plus ones privately.

A further €4,816.88 was spent on accommodation at the Hilton Club The Central at 5th New York.

Meanwhile, five of the delegates, Councillors Hall, Meenan and Butterly, along with both Directors of Service, claimed €680.86 each under the Subsistence Abroad Allowance giving a total of €3,304.30.

During the trip Louth County Council hosted a dinner for the Louth New York Society at a Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse spending €3,399.73.

Additionally, €556.99 was spent on a pre-booked taxi to and from Newark Airport, while €334.79 was spent on tickets to the Cross Border Orchestra performance at Carnegie Hall.

Additional expenses included the purchase of shamrock from a business in Westmeath, Dublin Airport parking, parking at the Clayton Hotel and a mileage claim for travel to Dublin Airport.