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Daily Record
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Provost's posh car replacement has saved Perth and Kinross Council almost £14,000 a year
Provost Xander McDade was keen to have a "more practical and environmentally friendly" vehicle anyone could use Ditching the swanky civic car has cut the annual travel expenses for the Perth and Kinross Provost by almost £14,000. Previously the Provost would be driven to events in an Audi A8 but in January 2023 Provost McDade announced plans to switch to a "more practical and environmentally friendly" option. Now, the Highland Perthshire senior councillor drives himself around or uses a pool car, which anyone in Perth and Kinross Council can use. In 2024/25 Perth and Kinross Council's 40 councillors (as well as two who resigned) claimed a total of £32,253 in expenses. Five councillors did not claim a single penny: Andy Chan (Con), Eric Drysdale (SNP), Crawford Reid (who resigned last summer), Caroline Shiers (Con) and Colin Stewart (Ind) who prides himself on having never made an expenses claim as a councillor. The vast majority - 98 per cent - of councillors' expenses claims were related to travel costs. There were no claims for meals or accommodation. There was just one training/conference claim, for Cllr Peter Barrett who convenes the Perth and Kinross Licensing Board, and the remaining £243 claimed was for telephone and ICT expenses. But - despite inflation and rising fuel costs - the expenses claimed last year by elected members was less than half what it was six years ago. For the tax year 2018-19, councillors claimed £75,178 in expenses. Removing the civic car is partly behind the 57 per cent reduction in councillors' expenses from 2019 to 2025. Provost McDade said: "When I became Provost I wanted to move away from an exclusive car for the Provost to something that could be used by anyone in the council to help save money. "Because I was driving myself to a lot of events, the previous car was sitting doing nothing a lot of the time which was not a good use of public money. So, we replaced the Audi with the hybrid Ford Transit which is now a pool car and can be used by anyone and is routinely used by schools for example because it has eight seats." As travel/mileage is, by far, the largest expense it is perhaps no surprise the three Highland Perthshire ward councillors' expenses account for just over a third of the total expenses claimed by elected members in 2024/25. Provost Xander McDade is one of those three Highland Perthshire councillors. He had the largest expenses bill of £4751. Provost McDade's claims were all for mileage and - while the largest for 2024/25 - were a 74 per cent reduction from his predecessor Provost Dennis Melloy's £18,529 claim for travel and mileage in 2018/19. Provost Melloy's total expenses claimed in 2018/19 including meals, telephones/ICT costs, etc., were £18,952. A move towards hybrid meetings has also played a part in reducing mileage claims. The Independent Highland Perthshire ward councillor said: "Since the introduction of hybrid meetings I have tended to try and do a lot more of the internal meetings online rather than driving the 50-mile round trip each time and this has reduced my own mileage quite a lot, but the Highland ward covers about 43 per cent of the Perth and Kinross landmass so all three Highland ward councillors inevitably have the highest mileage claims as it can take 90 minutes to drive from one side of our ward to the other. "My mileage is for local ward meetings or to Perth for council meetings, but I also drive myself to quite a lot of local events as Provost so use the pool car less than previous Provosts would have used the civic car." Another change since Xander McDade was made Provost has been the introduction of Bailies, with one representing each political group in the council. That too, has brought savings. Provost McDade added: "Since we reintroduced Bailies there has also been a reduction in mileage as I will often send a Bailie to a local event near them if appropriate." Details of the councillors' expenses are publicly available to see on the Perth and Kinross Council website. Bailie Alasdair Bailey - vice-convener of PKC's Scrutiny and Performance Committee - believes it is important for councillors to think about how the public purse is being spent but also that councillors are not out of pocket in their service. The Labour Carse of Gowrie ward councillor said: "The scrutiny that brings to the process keeps us all aware of the fact that when we travel on council business, we're doing so at the expense of the taxpayer. "However I do want to put on record my strong support for the ability of councillors to claim reimbursement for expenses. We have to remember that if we don't pay people adequately to hold public office, we inevitably end up being ruled by those who can afford to do the role voluntarily which severely limits the range of people and backgrounds we'll see represented on the council." Independent councillor Colin Stewart - who has pledged not claim a single penny - agreed. The Strathmore ward councillor said: "I think it's completely appropriate for expenses to be available to ensure access to elected office, particularly for younger candidates, but all councillors should be mindful about keeping their burden on Perth and Kinross residents and taxpayers to the absolute minimum. "Having not claimed anything in my first term as a councillor, I pledged that I wouldn't claim anything if elected for a second term - and I won't." A PKC spokesperson said: "Councillors can claim expenses for travel and subsistence costs incurred while carrying out their official duties. "In the interests of transparency, councils are required to publish information on councillors' salary, allowances and expenses in respect of the previous financial year.' "All councillors can claim travel and subsistence costs while carrying out their official duties. Elected members in more rural areas will, inevitably, face higher transport costs although it should be noted these have reduced significantly since the coronavirus pandemic. This is because more meetings can be held online and pool vehicles can also be used to reduce costs."
RTÉ News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'Dublin have to get Con on the pitch no matter what'
Dublin have it all to do if they're to survive Saturday's Battle of Newry with Derry and, according to former Offaly ace Nigel Dunne, they shouldn't dream of heading up north without the most potent weapon in their arsenal. Con O'Callaghan missed Dublin's Croke Park loss to Armagh last time out having come off injured in their win over Galway in Salthill in round one of the group stage. The Cuala ace's current injury status is unclear but, if he's fit enough to lace his boots by the weekend, Dunne reckons Dessie Farrell should ask him to suit up against Derry. "Even if Con's injured – once he's somewhat able to play, I'd tog him out," Dunne told the RTÉ GAA podcast. "He's their spiritual leader. They're a more confident group with Con just standing on the field. That's very simplistic, but I believe that in my heart of hearts. "He calms everyone down, he composes the team. He even gives Dessie more confidence in the rest of the players. "Whatever he has to do, Con has to be on that field at the weekend." The task is simple for Derry. While a draw will do Dublin, the Oak Leafers have to win or their 2025 season is over. The claustrophobic confines of Páirc Esler should suit the Ulstermen, with an apparently vulnerable Dublin side very much there for the taking having already been beaten twice in the championship this summer. Derry, on the other hand, have been leaning on some old war horses as they work their way back into the form that took them to an Allianz League title last season. "The venue has significance here. It will suit Derry," Dunne argued. "They finished strong in the last 12 minutes against Armagh, they had a really good outing against Galway. "They look to be coming back to their old form. Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers have grabbed the dressing room by the scruff of the neck and said 'lets get over this. Rory Gallagher's not coming back. We have to move on with our lives, we have to make sure Derry's competitive again'. "If the game was in Croke Park, I'd be saying Dublin all day long. I really give Derry a massive chance. But Dublin look a bit vulnerable. They looked panicked the last day [against Armagh]. "There was a stretch in the second half where Dublin were doing what Dublin do, they were breaking at pace, they still have all these great athletes – but they were panicking and forcing two-point shots. "They looked like a team that didn't trust themselves. They didn't trust themselves to chip away at a lead. They were anxious to get scores on the board. It just felt like they lacked confidence, which is an unusual thing to say. "Even Dessie Farrell throwing the hat on the ground… Dublin are going to have to come out swinging – because you know Derry will."
The Irish Sun
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Dessie Farrell admits Dublin badly missed Con O'Callaghan as he warns of ‘serious conversation' with players
DESSIE FARRELL has vowed to have a 'serious conversation' with his Dublin players about their costly errors. The Dubs coughed up FIVE points to Armagh for technical fouls at Croke Park — and Advertisement 2 A lot of work to do for Farrell's men in the coming weeks 2 Armagh ran out winners by a score of 0-24 to 0-19 Rory Grugan tapped over three Ocrhard points after Dublin breaches of the four/three rule, as well as a separate two-pointer after a man in blue impeded a player who made a kickout mark. Boss Farrell also winced at the 17 wides in this Group of Death clash. Fuming Farrell said of the series of technical errors: 'It just shouldn't be happening. Whether they're marginal calls or not, we shouldn't be putting ourselves in that position. 'To get done for three, and then we had a breach or a technical foul after a mark in the first half as well which cost us another two points. Advertisement Read more on GAA 'That's five points in total it cost us. At this stage of the competition, against opposition like we're playing, it's just not good enough. 'We'll be having a serious conversation about that.' The 2023 champions are still in the hunt for Sam but have now lost two Championship games in the same season for the first time since 2010 after last month's Dublin struck 11 wides in the second-half alone as they chased holders Armagh's lead. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football They took nine separate pot-shots for two-pointers in the half and scored just two. Farrell said it was a mistake to keep chasing long-range scores and he acknowledged they badly missed Con O'Callaghan. 'Like something out of the French Revolution' - RTE GAA pundit Donal Og Cusack slams Dublin star's reckless swipe King Con Farrell said: 'I think what you're supposed to say in this situation is that it's an opportunity for somebody else. Advertisement 'But when you're dealing with somebody like Con, it's definitely a loss — there's no denying that, there's no getting away from that. 'But that's the challenge we face. We faced it in 2022 when he missed the back end of the Championship and we came up short against Kerry in the semi-final. 'We were prepared for not having him on the pitch today. It's not as if it was a bolt from the blue. 'Ultimately, I think we missed his leadership out there at different times. Advertisement 'Obviously he brings a level of composure and a level of calm that we struggled without at times today. 'We were at odds with ourselves at different stages and to identify the reasons for that is a challenge at this point in time. But perhaps missing Con is a contributing factor.'
Irish Daily Mirror
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dessie Farrell: Dublin struggled without calm Con O'Callaghan in Armagh defeat
Dessie Farrell says a wasteful Dublin were 'at odds with themselves' at stages of today's defeat by Armagh at Croke Park, in the absence of captain Con O'Callaghan. Kieran McGeeney's men emerged on a 0-24 to 0-19 scoreline to top the group and claim the one automatic All-Ireland quarter-final place on offer with a game to spare. It also left Dublin fighting for their lives going head to head with Derry in the final round at a neutral venue in a fortnight. A draw will be enough for Dublin to stay alive, but if Derry win and Galway defeat Armagh, the capital side will finish bottom of the group and exit the All-Ireland race. O'Callaghan was sorely missed yesterday as Dublin had 23 misses in total, including 19 wides, with five of them two point efforts in the second half as they attempted to chase down Armagh, who had just nine misses in total and hit five two-pointers to Dublin's three. 'I think what you're supposed to say in this situation is it's an opportunity for somebody else,' said Farrell. 'But when you're dealing with somebody like Con, it's definitely a loss. There's no denying that. There's no getting away from that. But that's the challenge we faced. 'We faced it in 2022 when he missed the back end of the Championship and we came up short against Kerry in the semi-final. 'We were prepared for not having him on the pitch today, so it's not as if it was a bolt from the blue. But ultimately, I think we missed his leadership out there at different times. 'Obviously, he brings a level of composure and a level of calm that we struggled with at times today. 'We were sort of at odds with ourselves at different stages and to identify the reason for that is a challenge at this point in time. But perhaps missing Con is a contributing factor.' All-Ireland champions Armagh certainly laid down a marker that they're going nowhere as their remarkable run of not having been beaten in regular time in a Championship game since June 2023 continued. Tyrone defeated them in a group game that year, and since then a resilient Armagh are unbeaten in regulation time in 16 Championship games. Even though they're through as group winners, McGeeney says Armagh won't take their foot off the gas in their final round tie against a reeling Galway side fighting for their Championship lives. Armagh emerged yesterday despite the absence of some of their top names through injury, including All-Ireland winning captain and All Star Aidan Forker, two point specialist Oisin O'Neill and defensive lynchpin Ciaran Mackin. McGeeney says his side won't let up in the final round: 'No, you can't. We've seen that. You can't, because you'll go soft. 'They (Galway) were beaten by a point by Dublin, and it was a draw again today (against Derry). Galway, to me, are still one of the top three or four teams in the country. 'They'll be smarting, because they know how good they are. If you go soft to that, you'll both lose players, and you can lose a whole lot of other things as well. 'You might be able to get somebody else in and get game time, but the way we do our training is you have to fight for that position. It's not given to you.'
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Armagh are coming to boil and will fancy chances vs Dublin – Con O'Callaghan is an incalculable loss for Dessie Farrell
A CHAMPIONSHIP clash with Dublin at Croke Park could hardly be described as low-hanging fruit. But I get the sense nonetheless that the Orchard is beginning to bloom. 3 Armagh face Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 3 Graham Geraghty backed the reigning champions to beat the Dubs Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 3 Con O'Callaghan will miss the game through injury Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile And with Even though the severity of his injury will probably be kept under wraps, it is no surprise to see Con's name absent from the It did not look good for him as he went off against Such is the way of these things, he may still end up playing a part. Read More on GAA If not, it will be an incalculable loss for Dublin. Prior to picking up the injury, his performance against Galway was yet another demonstration of his importance to Dessie Farrell's team. So much goes through him, whether he is operating in the half-forward line or closer to goal. As evidenced by Farrell's decision to hand him the captaincy, Con's leadership is also vital at a time when the Dubs are striving to show that there is life after the likes of Brian Fenton and James McCarthy. Returning to Croker for a game of this magnitude is exactly where Dublin want to be. Yet the same goes for Armagh, who are coming to the boil nicely. Most read in GAA Football The trajectory of their form is promising, there's a good buzz about them and crucially their ranks have been bolstered by the return of Rian O'Neill. The momentum is building for Kieran McGeeney's men. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - They showed few signs of an Ulster final hangover while racking up a big lead against Derry , whose late surge only served to put some respectability on the scoreline. Armagh will not have it all their own way against Dublin by any stretch of the imagination. What the Dubs did to Galway was extremely impressive. They are a team who are sure to be high on confidence. However, if Con is gone, Dublin will find it very difficult to dig out a victory. One man does not make a team, yet his influence is just so critical that the Dubs are nowhere near as formidable without him. This has the makings of being as good a game as we will see all year. And while there will not be much between the teams, Armagh look likely to have the edge. There was a time not too long ago when Dublin were in such good nick that they could afford to be missing a few key players. But no team could ship so many blows on the personnel front and not be detrimentally affected. The team that has been named to start against Armagh shows just six survivors from the 2023 All-Ireland final win over Kerry — Stephen Cluxton, Davy Byrne, Brian Howard, Ciarán Kilkenny , Cormac Costello and Colm Basquel. You cannot expect to stay at the top of the pile while being robbed of so much quality in such a short period of time. Now, they are not far away from it and will not be easily beaten by anyone. But are Dublin one of the top three All-Ireland contenders as things stand? Not for me. PANEL SHOW A strong panel is needed to go all the way nowadays and Armagh can certainly boast that now. Their captain is also injured as Aidan Forker looks set to remain sidelined as well. But their options on the bench still include Stefan Campbell, Joe McElroy and Connaire Mackin, who all contributed enormously to their All-Ireland win. Also held in reserve again is Jemar Hall, who generally sees very little action but would probably be a regular starter for most other top teams. Iron sharpens iron when you have that level of competition within a set-up. And when guys are working that hard in training just to get a jersey , it is manifested on match-day when a manager can call upon subs who are just as good as the lads they are replacing. At the moment, there are not many counties with the depth and quality to match what is at McGeeney's disposal. With players coming off the bench often proving to be the match-winners nowadays, Armagh are in a very good place. All 16 teams are in action this weekend in the All-Ireland SFC, so there will be plenty to monitor and much to learn about those with aspirations of being in Galway's trip to Celtic Park is not a do-or-die fixture for either Pádraic Joyce's side or Derry but, still, the stakes are extremely high for two teams aiming to recover from losses. Indeed, having been a kick of a ball away from winning the All-Ireland last year, going into a rematch with Armagh in two weeks' time without a point on the board would be a disastrous scenario for Galway. They should have enough to see off a Derry team whose frailties have been exposed by the new rules. But the visitors must proceed with caution now that the air is getting thinner. Finally, the good times should continue for The future looks rosy for the Red Hands. And the present could be quite promising too if they can build on the performance they brought to Ballybofey while uncovering some chinks in the home side's armour. There is very little to separate Tyrone, Donegal and Armagh. On a given day, they are all capable of beating one another. When this Championship comes to the crunch, Ulster's finest should have a major say. Getting out of Omagh with anything to show for their efforts will be a huge ask of Mayo, particularly given the potential impact of Kevin McStay having to step back. I wish him well and hope he makes a full recovery, which is far more important than anything that happens on the pitch in Healy Park.
