A FINE Gael election candidate has come under fire from local councillors after distributing a leaflet containing inaccurate figures about council expenses.
Noel Rock, who’s campaigning for a seat in the new Ballymun Ward next May, published a leaflet which included a paragraph stating that councillors can claim
?¬60,000 per annum in expenses, on average.
The leaflet highlights a pledge from Mr Rock not to claim any expenses if elected but he told Northside People the
?¬60,000 figure relates to an entire five-year term, not annually.
Mr Rock admitted to Northside People that there was a typo in the leaflet but pointed out that the correct figure is mentioned in a more prominent section.
“It does actually say
?¬60,000 per term in the lead part of the leaflet,
? he said.
“The
?¬60,000 per annum bit is buried in the fifth paragraph on the second story. It’s very, very obvious to any reader. You’d need to be looking for an angle to have a go at it.
?
Local councillor Paul McAuliffe (FF) called on Mr Rock to immediately withdraw what he described as
“a false claim
? and to distribute a clarification.
“I don’t mind taking fair criticism for anything but it’s just wrong to give the impression that councillors are ‘creaming it’,
? he said.
“This claim is so blatantly false and cannot go unchallenged. There is simply no basis in fact for this Fine Gael’s candidate’s assertion that councillors are paid expenses of
?¬60,000 per annum.
?
“The electorate maybe surprised to know that the Fianna Fail group on Dublin City Council are the only group who, since elected in 2009, declined the e3,000 discretional conference expenses and directed that the monies be spent instead on local services.
“This has amounted to approximately
?¬65,000 of a real saving to the city. Unfortunately Fine Gael, along with Labour and Sinn Fein, all voted against abolishing the conference expenses budget.
“He could go some way to make amends if he was to apply himself to persuading his own Fine Gael colleagues to reform the system. He could do some real service if he was to convince his Fine Gael Government not to cost taxpayers e1million to add an extra 50 councillors in Dublin as they plan to do.
?
Mr Rock hit back at Cllr McAuliffe’s criticisms and said the leaflet had been corrected and redistributed.
“You can quibble the numbers all you like, but it’s more about the principle than that number,
? he said.
“We got the number right in the lead part of the leaflet and it only went to about 250-300 houses so it’s not like this was a widely read piece of literature.
“That leaflet has been redrafted, reprinted and redistributed to really clarify things.
“To say that e60,000 per annum is what I’m claiming is a bit disingenuous and a bit disappointing. The key part is the principle. It’s about getting new ideas, new politics and new faces.
“The number is important obviously and we worked to get that right but it’s the idea that’s more important. I’d be glad if Paul agreed to join me on the Noel Rock No Expenses claim.
?
Mr Rock also came under fire from a councillor representing his own party. Fine Gael’s Bill Tormey lashed out at the leaflet on Twitter and in national media.
“Rock has engaged in a form of egregious abuse to ingratiate himself with the voters,
? said Cllr Tormey on his website.
“He obviously lives on Mars because mere earthlings would cop-on that 60k per year in expenses for a councillor would be impossible to justify or sustain.
“Ironically, he is paid as a Senate assistant to Senator Catherine Noone. He should tell the voters who pays for his colour brochures and who are his main donors.
?
Cllr Tormey also took to Twitter to share his contempt for Mr Rock’s leaflet. Mr Rock said he wasn’t interested
“engaging with Bill on his level.
?
Pointing to online comments regarding Cllr Tormey’s views Mr Rock said:
“It’s clear that the No Expenses Pledge speaks for itself and that people heavily support it,
? he said.