How much Galway’s 18 city councillors received in salaries, allowances and expenses in 2025
Galway city councillors received almost €730,000 in salaries, allowances and expenses in 2025, according to figures published by Galway City Council.
The annual returns show the local authority paid a total of €729,131 in salaries and allowances to the city’s 18 elected members during 2025.
The allowances and expenses claimed by each councillor are published annually and are available to the public.
Occupying the mayoral chair, Cllr Mike Cubbard brought in the highest income from his colleagues, receiving €55,935. His total included the standard €10,000 mayoral allowance and a €6,000 Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) chairperson's allowance.
Councillor and former Mayor Mike Cubbard
All councillors received a standard Local Representation Allowance of €960 for unvouched expenses, which covers costs such as home office expenses, phone usage, constituency work and other day-to-day expenditure that aren’t receipted.
Other allowance costs inclusing postage, phone bills, and travel costs are included and tracked via receipt and remain an alternative line item of income.
Labour councillor Helen Ogbu recorded the highest vouched Local Representation Allowance expenditure at €6,910.32, followed by her party colleague Cllr John McDonagh at €6,641.77.
Six of the 18 councillors sit as Chairs on Strategic Policty Committees and therefore received an additioanl €6,000 allowance. Following the June 2024 local elections, councillors were appointed to chair the committees for the duration of the council term, which runs until 2029.
Operational Development, Michael Crowe
Corporate Development, Cloddagh Higgins
The annual returns also include attendance records for official council meetings, including monthly plenary meetings, special meetings, SPC meetings and local area committee meetings.
Cllr Donal Lyons, Cllr Eddie Hoare and Cllr Níall McNelis recorded 100pc attendance across all meetings listed in the returns.
At the other end of the scale, Cllr Aisling Burke attended 55pc of meetings during the year, while Cllr Josie Forde attended only 50pc.
Training, conferences, and foreign travel also form the councilor’s role, particularly in August when the chamber doors are closed for the summer holidays.
Every year, a mayoral delegation is sent to the United States to visit sister cities in Milwaukee and Chicago In 2025, those trips contributed to Cllr Cubbard recording the highest level of overseas travel expenditure.
Mike Cubbard with Chicago Mayor Johnson
Council records show €776 was spent on travel to the United States in August 2025. A €263 study visit to Brussels in November brought his total overseas travel costs to more than €1,000.
Cllr Frank Fahy and Cllr John McDonagh traveled with Cllr Cubbard to America as part of the delegation. Cllr Josie Forde attended St Patrick’s Day celebration in Seattle, Washington at a €543 expense. In addition, Cllr McDonnell attended a Brussels study visit for €580.
The remaining councillors did not record any foreign travel expenditure in 2025.
The 2025 alowance and salary figures are as follows:
Labour Cllr Níall McNelis €45,868.19
Ind Cllr Declan McDonnell €44,782.87
Labour Cllr John McDonagh €41,576.58
Ind Cllr Terry O'Flaherty €40,717.45
Ind Cllr Eibhlín Seoigthe €34,980.02
Galway City Council told the Irish Independent figures for 2026 thus far “remain outstanding,” and information would be incomplete to release.