New figures reveal which Mayo councillors received the highest payments from €1.3m spend in 2025
Under local government rules, councils are required to publish annual details of spending on elected representatives, providing a breakdown of salaries, travel costs, conference attendance, allowances and additional payments attached to senior roles.Newly published figures from the local authority show that the largest share of expenditure, €955,796, was spent on remuneration payments to councillors. Councillors' basic salaries stand at €32,108.The payments covered 32 individuals, despite Mayo County Council having 30 elected councillors, as Fine Gael Senator Mark Duffy and Aontú TD Paul Lawless both received pro rata payments for their time on the local authority before their election to the Seanad and Dáil in 2024.The figures show that Mayo County Council spent €48,444 sending councillors to conferences and training events around Ireland in 2025, while a further €15,407 was paid out in overseas travel expenses.Councillors travelled to a range of destinations across the United States and Europe over the course of the year, including Milwaukee, Chicago and New York, as well as visits to France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and London.Security-related expenditure also featured in the annual returns. Fine Gael councillor Michael Burke received €9,972 to install a security system at his home after Garda crime prevention officers advised the measures following threats made against him.Senator Duffy also availed of a security allowance, receiving €1,010 after being advised by Gardaí to install CCTV at his home following a number of incidents.The second-largest expenditure category was members’ allowances, which totalled €156,188 for the year.Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Carey and Fine Gael representative Gerry Coyle were among the highest recipients under this heading, with both Erris-based councillors receiving more than €8,000.Additional payments were also made to councillors who held senior positions within the authority.Former Cathaoirleach John O’Hara of Fine Gael received €15,000 during his term in the role before it was passed to Cllr Carey in June 2025. Cllr Carey received €18,000 for serving as Cathaoirleach during the second half of the year.
When all payments were combined, including salary, allowances, conference expenses and senior role-related payments, Cllr O’Hara emerged as the highest-paid elected representative in Mayo for 2025, receiving a total of €72,342.Cllr Burke was the second-highest recipient with overall payments of €65,942, while Cllr Carey received €64,428.Around €15,000 behind the top earners were Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell and Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn, who each received just over €49,000 during the year.At the other end of the scale, Fine Gael councillor Marie-Therese Duffy received total payments of €29,309. Having been co-opted to the council following her brother Mark Duffy’s election to the Seanad, her remuneration payment for the year stood at €22,858.Similarly, Aontú councillor Deirdre Lawless, who was co-opted onto the council following her brother Paul Lawless’s election to the Dáil, received remuneration payments of €27,930, while her overall payments for the year totalled €35,981.The overall figure for 2025 is a reduction on the previous year, when Mayo County Council paid out approximately €1.6m in expenses and remuneration to elected members.This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
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