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KERRY COUNTY COUNCIL paid out over €1 million to 33 elected members last year. The total figure includes allowances, expenses, attendances at conferences and training seminars, as well as gratuities and ex-gratia payments to former councillors.

The average paid to and claimed by a councillor in 2016 was almost €29,000, according to the council’s annual report.

The total payments made to councillors by Kerry County Council in respect of attendance, authorised by the authority, at a meeting of a prescribed association of local authorities of which the authority is a member, and attendance, authorised by the authority, at a conference, seminar, training event or other meeting or event was €93,495 in 2016.

The amount of registration fees paid to organisers for the authorised attendance of elected members at conferences, seminars, training events or other meetings, in 2016 was €22,776.

Travel and subsistence expenses for within the State came to €91,564; with the total for travel and subsistence outside the State amounting to €1,931.

The payments are included as part of the Kerry County Council’s €125m budget for 2016.

The mayor/cathaoirleach allowance was €30,033, while the deputy mayor/leas cathaoirleach received €6,007, and the mayor of Tralee and cathaoirligh of Killarney, Listowel and South and West Kerry Municipal Districts, received €30,033.

Strategic Policy Committee Chair Allowance was €24,000, with the mobile phone allowance totalling €8,552. The annual allowance came to €216,082 while representational payments of €549,023 were made and gratuities/ex-gratia payments of €63,549.

The representational payment is a payment worth €16,500 to each councillor. The annual allowance is for turning up to 80% of meetings.