Wicklow council paid more than €124,000 to councillors in first half of 2026
The Wicklow PeopleWicklow councillors received more than €124,000 in payments in the first six months of 2026, with detailed records showing how individual totals varied widely across the chamber and how mid-year changes in membership shaped the figures.
Wicklow County Council’s allowance table for January to June shows €113,476.54 paid out in statutory representational allowances, the fixed national payment issued to councillors each month.
A further €11,035.53 was paid for conferences and training, bringing total remuneration for the period to just over €124,500.
The highest allowance total to June was recorded by Cllr Patsy Glennon, who received €7,267.56. His payments include a payment worth €4,214.06 in March, the single largest monthly figure recorded in the table.
Cllr Glennon also topped the conference list, receiving €2,492.84 for five events, including the LAMA Spring Seminar and multiple AILG training modules. Combined, his remuneration for the first half of the year was just under €9,800, the highest of any councillor.
Cllr Lourda Scott received €5,989.06 in allowances, including €2,421.25 in June. Cllr Scott did not attend any conferences in the period, meaning her total remuneration consists entirely of the statutory allowance. Cllr Jason Mulhall received €5,603.75, with a payment worth €2,056.95 in February. As with Cllr Scott, Cllr Mulhall recorded no conference claims.
Cllr Gail Dunne received €5,568.67, including €3,624.42 in February, and also received €1,725.63 in conference payments for attending the LAMA Spring Seminar and the Celtic Conference. His combined total to June was around €7,300.
Other councillors recorded substantial allowance totals. Cllr Pat Mahon received €4,907.66, including €1,729.82 in April. Cllr Avril Cronin received €4,387.22, with a larger than usual June payment of €1,022.87.
Cllr Paul O’Brien received €3,922.81, including €1,583.52 in March, and also claimed €2,003.16 in conference payments for three events. His combined remuneration was close to €5,900. Cllr Warren O’Toole received €3,113.52 in allowances and €2,087.41 in conference payments, bringing his total to just over €5,200.
Councillor payments can jump sharply in certain months because the allowance system doesn’t always run in even monthly lines.
Although councillors receive a fixed national allowance, the payment can appear higher in a particular month when arrears and late paperwork is being processed together.
This happens for a few reasons. Sometimes councillors submit documentation later than usual, or paperwork from the previous year is only verified after January. When that happens, the council processes the outstanding amount in the next available payment cycle.
Instead of being spread out over earlier months, the money lands all at once, creating a spike that looks like a sudden increase, even though the councillor’s annual entitlement hasn’t changed.
It’s not an extra payment, and it’s not a higher rate, it’s simply the timing of when the council processes the paperwork. Once the arrears are paid, the councillor returns to the normal monthly figure the following month.
Several councillors recorded mid-range totals. Cllr Ned Whelan received €3,267.18. Cllr Caroline Winstanley received €2,964.00. Cllr Peir Leonard received €4,295.51, including €1,732.41 in February. Cllr Peter Stapleton received €3,517.26 while Cllr Melanie Corrigan received €4,285.42, with a large March payment of €1,865.27. Cllr Pat Kennedy received €3,344.22 in allowances and €1,045.01 in conference payments.
Cllr Stephen Stokes received €3,609.34. Cllr Tom Fortune received €3,428.43. Cllr Ian Neary received €3,425.40 and Cllr Erika Doyle (€3,932.79). Cllr Mark Barry received €2,555.28. Cllr Louise Fenelon Gaskin received €2,542.24. Cllr Graham Richmond received €2,630.16 in allowances and €398.26 in conference payments.
Many councillors recorded totals in the €2,400 to €2,800 range, including Cllr Joe Behan (€2,716.72), Cllr Sylvester Bourke (€2,587.12), Cllr Miriam Murphy (€2,699.76), Cllr Danny Alvey (€2,893.38), Cllr Orla Finn (€2,467.48) and Cllr Shane Langrell (€2,482.56).
Most of these councillors did not attend any conferences in the first half of the year, meaning their totals consist entirely of the statutory allowance.
The records also show how changes in council membership shaped the figures. Cllr Dermot O’Brien, who resigned early in the year, appears only once, with a single payment of €420.06 in January.
His successor, Cllr John Ward, who was co‑opted to the Bray Municipal District seat in May, appears only in June, with a payment of €781.26. Their limited entries reflect the months in which they held office and the standard allowance rate applied to their time in the council chamber.
Conference spending remained concentrated among a small group. Only ten councillors attended any conferences or AILG training events between January and June.
Travel and subsistence often exceeded conference fees, especially for multi‑day events, but the overall spend remained modest at just over €11,000.
Overall, the records provide a clear breakdown of how much each councillor received in the first half of 2026. The statutory allowance remains the dominant element of remuneration, conference spending is limited to a small group.