Local Councillor says conferences are deliberately held in far flung locations so they can claim higher expenses

Many of the conferences local Councillors are invited to attend are deliberately held in the far corners of the country so they can claim higher mileage expenses.

That’s according to Fine Gael’s David Fitzgerald who says it’s done as a way to supplement councillors’ income.

His comment come in the wake of a Prime Time Investigates special looking into the expenses claimed by councillors for various meetings, conferences and training seminars.

Kilkenny Cllr Ger Frisby was one of four highlighted in the programme.

He’s told KCLR he is ‘deeply embarrassed’ by his mistake and he has repaid €745.92 in overclaimed expenses – a figure he has agreed after consulting with the Finance Dept of the Education and Training Board.