Six ex-county councillors set to share over €200k in "goodbye" money

Offaly county councillors who did not retain their seats at the recent local election are in line for a significant golden handshake. Six former members of Offaly County Council will share over €200,000 in retirement gratuities. Councillors who are not re-elected are entitled to receive a payout of €3,520 for every year of service since 2000. In addition, departing county councillors who were members between 1980 and 2000 will receive €716 for each year they served during that period. Furthermore, county councillors are entitled to receive €476 for each year they spent on the local authority prior to 1980. This means that Fianna Fail"s Tom Feighery, who was co-opted to the council prior to the 1979 local elections, and who held his seat in the Ferbane Electoral Area at every election until this year, is to receive a retirement gratuity of at least €46,447. That sum of €46,447 is also to be awarded to former Fine Gael councillor Michael Fox, who was a member of the county council for 30 years. Three county councillors who served for ten years - Fianna Fail"s Ger Killally, and Fine Gael representatives John Foran and Marcella Corcoran Kennedy - are in line for a payout of €32,394. Killally did not contest the last election, whilst Foran and Corcoran-Kennedy were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Fergus McDonnell, who was elected to represent the Edenderry Area as a member of the Progressive Democrats in 2004, and was also not re-elected, is to receive a €17,600 payment. Outgoing county councillors who have not yet reached the age of 50 can laim their retirement gratuity on their 50th birthday. The amount they will be awarded will be calculated on the basis of councillors" representational payments at that point. Members of town councils who are not re-elected are also entitled to claim a retirement gratuity, though the rate of the payment they receive is lower than that of their county council counterparts. It"s been estimated that - nationally - the total cost to the taxpayer of these retirement gratuities could be as high as €10m. Tax on the former councillors" retirement payments is not deducted at source. The recipient is required to list the amount, whichis paid as a lump sum, in his or her annual tax return.