Salaries and expenses of Wexford councillors revealed as Fianna Fáil member tops the list for second year running

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Wexford’s county councillors were paid a total of €1,470,903.44 in 2024, a marginal increase on the amount they received in 2023. This figure was spread across 44 councillors including those who either retired or lost their seats in the 2024 local elections and those who replaced them.

For the second year in succession New Ross councillor John Fleming (Fianna Fáil) received the highest salary on the council at €73,453.43. This was made up of the standard representational payment of €29,755.59, an annual expense allowance of €5,045.13, a local representation allowance of €5,160, and a combined total of €10.031.86 for attending conferences in Ireland and abroad.

In addition, Cllr Fleming also received €19,548.30 in 2024 for his role as cathaoirleach of the county council for the first half of the year. He also received €3,462.55 in training expenses.

The annual expense allowance covers expenses incurred in carrying out their duties as councillors, including costs for attendance at meetings and incidental travel and subsistence within the functional area of the local authority. The local representation allowance enables councillors to claim reimbursement for costs incurred in the performance of their duties under specified categories of expenditure.

Gorey Kilmuckridge councillor Pip Breen (Fianna Fáil) received the second highest salary in the county at €68,317.06. This included €5,308.31 for attending a conference abroad, €2,851.75 for fulfilling the role of cathaoirleach in his municipal district, a further €15,638.64 to cover costs of becoming cathaoirleach of WCC last June, and €5,979.48 for his role as chair of one of the council’s strategic policy committees.

The third highest salary was paid to Councillor Joe Sullivan (Fianna Fáil), also in the Gorey Kilmuckridge district, who received €53,179.19 in 2024. This included training expenses of €5,164.83 and €5,979.48 for his work as the chair of a strategic policy committee.

Meanwhile, prior to being elected to Dáil Éireann in the winter of 2024, former councillor, and now deputy, Fionntán Ó Suilleabháin incurred the highest annual expense allowance in the county at €11,450.42.

In total, €51,234.10 was spent by WCC on sending councillors to conferences outside of Ireland. The councillors who attended those conferences were Aidan Browne (€615.02), Anthony Connick (€1,845.94), Barbara Anne Murphy (€654.62), Bridín Murphy (€4,353.19, Ger Carthy (€4,312.88), Jim Moore (€6,062.23), John Fleming (€7,488.44), John Hegarty (€1,338.52), John O’Rourke (€1,327.27), Kathleen Codd Nolan (€800), Leonard Kelly (€4,144.02), Lisa McDonald (€1,074.87), Michael Sheehan (€7,326.61), Michael Whelan (€78.42), Oliver Walsh (€598.85), Pat Barden (€3,060.14), Pip Breen (€5,308.31), and John Dwyer (€844.77).

Here’s what all 44 councillors received (including payments, fees, and expenses) in 2024:

John Fleming (Fianna Fáil) - €73,453.43.

Pip Breen (Fianna Fáil) – €68,317.06.

Joe Sullivan (Fianna Fáil) – €53,179.19.

Michael Sheehan (Independent – left Fianna Fáil in November 2024) – €51,261.61.

Donal Kenny (Fianna Fáil) – €50,019.16.

Ger Carthy (Independent) – €49,061.09.

Garry Laffan (Fianna Fáil) - €47,025.05.

Bridín Murphy (Fine Gael) – €46,669.39.

Mary Farrell (Independent) – €44,247.96.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael) - €42,761.98.

Leonard Kelly (Independent) - €41,214.12.

Barbara Anne Murphy (Fianna Fáil) – €41,143.73.

Oliver Walsh (Fine Gael) – €41,111.14.

Anthony Donohue (Fine Gael) – €40,568.27.

Fionntán Ó Suilleabháin (Sinn Féin) – €40,429.39.

Pat Barden (Wexford Independent Alliance) - €40,073.53.

John O’Rourke (Independent) – €39,904.40.

George Lawlor (Labour) – €38,817.97.

Aidan Browne (Fianna Fáil) – €38,514.30.

Frank Staples (Fine Gael) – €37,901.55.

Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fáil) – €35,810.43

Jackser Owens (Independent) – €34,873.99.

John Hegarty (Fine Gael) – €29,359.04 (vacated seat in 2024).

Jim Moore (Fine Gael) – €28,314.58 (retired in 2024).

Anthony Connick (Independent) – €26,260.89 (lost his seat in 2024).

Michael Whelan (Fianna Fáil) – €23,642.06 (lost his seat in 2024).

Nicky Boland (Wexford Independent Alliance) – €22,092.92 (elected in 2024).

Darragh McDonald (Fine Gael) – €19,674.29 (elected in 2024).

Marty Murphy (Wexford Independent Alliance) – €19,612.73 (elected in 2024).

Robbie Staples (Fine Gael) – €19,561.80 (elected in 2024).

Pat Kehoe (Fine Gael) – €19,519.86 (elected in 2024).

John Dwyer (Independent) – €19,479.02 (elected in 2024).

Ray Shannon (Wexford Independent Alliance) – €19,007.31 (elected in 2024).

Aoife Rose O’Brien (Sinn Féin) – €18,645.56 (elected in 2024).

Paddy Kavanagh (Wexford Independent Alliance) – €18,185.62 (elected in 2024).

Andrew Bolger (Fianna Fáil) – €18,179.16 (lost his seat in 2024).

Catherine Biddy Walsh (Labour) - €17,936.39 (elected in 2024).

Kathleen Codd Nolan (Fine Gael) – €16,850.35 (retired in 2024).

Willie Kavanagh (Independent) – €16,551.28 (lost his seat in 2024).

Diarmuid Devereux (Fine Gael) – €16,530.34 (retired in 2024).

Maura Bell (Labour) – €15,648.32 (vacated seat in 2024).

David Hynes (Sinn Féin) – €15,439.08 (lost his seat in 2024).