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THE MAYOR OF South Dublin’s decision to divert part of his salary to a fund for community groups sparked an unexpected level of interest that has led to some 50 community groups benefiting from grants of €200 each.
Dermot Looney wanted to give around 25 community groups grants of between €250 and €500 when he set up the Mayor’s Fund last September but huge interest saw 75 applications with a decision made to give €200 each to 50 different groups.
The Labour councillor wrote for TheJournal.ie last September about his decision to donate €7,000 of his €45,000 mayoral allowance to the Mayor’s Fund with €3,000 donated by his deputy mayor Eamon Tuffy.
The €10,000 would be given to groups focussing on youth and sport, older persons and the environment.
The fund was administered by the community department in South Dublin County Council with the money targeted towards small groups and associations who were required to provide documentation such as tax clearance certificates.
“It’s spread across all five electoral areas [in south Dublin] with great range and spread of different community organisations,” Looney told TheJournal.ie today. “The feedback has been very positive. I’ve only spoken to a few of them but it’s a nice bonus at Christmas time.
“It’s a huge struggle for anybody and a huge struggle for community groups to fundraise and keep going, so this minor amount might make a difference.”
One of the groups to benefit is Greenhills College Basketball Club which will use the money to part-fund the purchase of new jerseys, while the Perrystown Manor Estate Active Retirement group will use the money to put on a fundraising dance.
Looney, who is on a career break from teaching, said it is up to his successor as to whether they want to keep the fund going, but said that he launched the initiative partly to highlight the issue of politicians’ pay and expenses.
“I felt €7,000 was a decent amount that was going to make a difference,” he said, adding of his successor that it “might not suit their personal circumstances” to give up part of their salary.
The 50 groups that benefit will receive their cheques in the New Year.
Looney added that the 25 groups who applied but did not get approval for a grant will be informed of alternative funding sources.
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Hats off to him. More of them shkukd follow suit.
I’m not wearing one
I’m assuming your a music DJ and not a talk show host Mike. If you’re a talk show host. Shut up.
He has a face for radio….
Jaysus Luke-who bit your tail?
Well, I think Irish talk show hosts from Prendeville in Cork, to Joe Duffy, and all others in between should be hung drawn and quartered Winston :)
But, perhaps my comment was unfair. I do apologise, kind of ish, maybe, perhaps….
Actually, no. Shut up Mike.
Play me something from Bob Dylan’s Christmas album from a few years back., and I’ll retract my post. How bout that?
Ah put a sock in it Luke, he’s entitled to his opinion. Well said Mike. Lead by example is the way to go.
Fair play to him . Considering our Lord Mayor in cork gets 120 k , at a motion last week to cut the salary FF , FG , and labour voted against it . The salary including expense is closer to 200 k
So, a Lab councillor leads by example Jamie? What example would that be? Do tell.
Though in fairness to him, he must be one of the only Lab councillors NOT leaving Lab – wonder why that is Jamie?
Luke our politicians are grossly overpaid, if they really cared about the people they would donate some of their exorbitant remuneration to worthy causes, like this man has done, hence leading by example.
Nonsense – total shit.
The guy is looking for publicity for what he is doing. Where’s the charity in that? If you think that he, as a Lab politician, is leading by example, then you too are guilty of utter self delusion.
Time to wake up and smell the roses. An honourable person, would high tail the fcuk out of Lab. Instead, we get a picture of his face here, a wonderful article praising him, and fellas like you lap it up and look for more.
There is no honour in this article. He’s a part of a party destroying our country, and along come the rabble to thank him for it for a cheap publicity stunt. Welcome to Ireland.
And Jamie, if he tried to buy the publicity he;’s getting right now, for half his salary, he’d get nowhere.
He’s a joke. Congratulations Jamie – you’re the proud owner of an advertising scam. And on it goes………..
And you can throw Mike above into the same mix. He’s cut from the same cloth. If he wasn’t he’d drop the 4FM name, and post as Mike O’ Brien – another wannabe politician. He’d – Mike – would also be man enough to not leave a singular comment and run for the hills.
Well Luke it doesn’t seem a scam to me, it seems genuine. Lay aside your cynicism and begrudgery for a moment and accept the man has done a noble thing. You just can’t please some people.
Please don’t feed the trolls
Sure you were posting under Niall a while back, at least he still has the same handle.
Someone wee wee on your cornflakes?!!
Love it!! “Anothef wannabe pollitician” lol
Showing empathy , they should all do it, well done Sir .…,nice one
Noble, would be leaving the party machine that’ll fund his ambition to be elected as a TD – that’s his aim, minimum. That would be noble. If he announced tomorrow he was leaving Lab as they are fcukng the very same people he’s throwing pennies at – then I might take him seriously.
Other than that, he’s no different to the rest – and deserves the same fate Lab will get.
Nice article though, wish he was my happy clappy Lord Mayor and I could roll out the red carpet for him and fall under his fairy dust spell……..
Hugh – the author – seems to be under his spell. The again, Hugh’s article on the banking crisis was likely one of the best ever published. Either way, Hugh, can you do please stop with shit like this?
But the donations might end up in wage packets of ever higher paid CEO’s in the charities, do it in their communities !!
Ah Mike, good man. So why is it you think that Lab Lord Mayor of Dublin is leading by example?
Perhaps, in between old cheesy one liners, you could answer that.
Put it this way. Niall Boylan would answer, and he wouldn’t have to depend on childish retorts either.
So, the question stands. Why?
“Sure you were posting under Niall a while back, at least he still has the same handle.”
And, Jamie, I also posted on why I changed handles. In the meantime, try dealing with the points I made, lest you’ve converted from SF to Lab and not told anyone?
@Mike
“Someone wee wee on your cornflakes?!!”
That’s a classic fella. I must remember that one. Even though I answered that very same question no more than an hour ago on another thread on this site about flights out of Newcastle. Good lad though.
Again, a one liner and you disappear in to the ether – and with it you take the 4fm name. Silly boy.
@ Mike – yet again.
“Love it!! “Anothef wannabe pollitician” lol”
You adopt the very same tactics. I’d explain it, but life is too short…..You’re a little too old or desperate to be knocking around here looking to pick up listeners (hint, like the Mayor above) …….
And note – Niall Boylan, dropped the 4fm name from his avatar recently. Why?
Enjoy your cornflakes…….
Fvck me Luke, you’re off your game boy.
Niall Boylan and Mike O’ Brien both work at 4fm, but they are certainly not the same person. Any point you might have had is getting lost with all the ranting and insults you’re throwing at people who haven’t done a single thing to warrant it.
Luke I haven’t converted from anything, so stop trying to label me, thanks. I simply recognise a decent gesture when I see one, unlike your cynical self.
@Winston
Yeah, I must admit I’m lashing out a little. And yea I also know both Mike and Niall work for 4Fm – what made you think otherwise in any of my comments?
But, I’m lashing out at a self serving lab councillor, and a self serving media head that blindly supports him. I make no apologies for that. Fcuk them both.
As for Boylan, I’ve no difficulty with him because though we disagree – he’s a man. An adult.
Unlike Mike, Niall won’t resort to, wait for it……..”wee weeing in my cornflakes”
Hmmn….
“‘Huge struggle’” – was it a huge struggle to ask him an honest question Hugh? When you interviewed him, did it not cross your mind? Is he a mate? Has he promised you access? Is he actually Santa Hugh? Are there standards Hugh? Is this a happy Christmas story for him? What arrangement did you make Hugh?
Do you think we need more articles like this, Hugh? Is this what you got in to Journalism for, Hugh?
Would I be so lucky if I knew you too, Hugh? Hansel and Gretel springs to mind.
From the superb collective article on the bank guarantee, to this, Hugh?
Then again the bank guarantee article was retrospective, so you didn’t need to ask any hard question for it.
Do you have a difficulty asking hard questions, Hugh? Yes, I’m being obnoxious, but I also run off my gut, try it sometime – this was a perfect opportunity to go for the jugular with this guy. But, he escaped. Now he gets to be elected on the party ticket….such a shame.
There should always be a healthy imbalance between the press and politicians. An uncomfortable relationship. Please, Hugh – try to be perhaps the only one of your generation that doesn’t become a mouthpiece for the next Lord Mayor.
Answer me this Hugh – did he submit the photo above of himself to you, or did you hold his hand when he was in the kiosk too?
Too right , and the propaganda machine keeps on rolling
Is this what’s happened to Irish society? We can’t just enjoy a story of good news or a charitable act without it generating conspiracy theory’s?
You’d get a job with 96FM in Cork, no bother.
HELLO AGAIN MORM I HOPE U ARE WELL
YOUD WANT TO BE AWAY NOW AND PAINT THAT WALL THE SKIM IS WELL DRYED OUT ON IT REGARDS WINSTON
We could save a lot more if we only had 1 dublin mayor
Question is do we need a “real” mayor. With teeth and revenue raising powers. The 4 mayor is ceremonial as are the fact we have 4 councils to start with. 5 is enough for the country.
Honestly – I didn’t know Dublin had more than one Mayor. Does it? If so, what a fcuking joke.
Give the man his due – he is doing something positive.
TD’s earn €1100 PW basic after tax.
They could easily forgo their expenses.
**should
And his name is looney :-)
Well, though I’d be the first to say Lord Mayors should be a thing of the past, he’s making an effort, so I won’t pull the dagger out and I’ll hold my tongue on it.
Mind you, he’s delighted at the attention he’s getting as a result no doubt.
Did he contact you Hugh, or did you contact him? Did you get an email or press release, or did a local charity benefitting get in touch?
Truthfully – it matters.
Yeah,i agree,on one level its a publicity generating stunt,but still,fair play to him,its a decent gesture in right direction.far too high a percentage of public spending is going on salaries and pensions,and not enough on front line services.
He’s a Labour councillor-they’re closer to God than we are…;)
Pity the rest of those muppet TDs/quangos don’t do the same.
when i first saw the headline i thought it was the lord mayor of dublin but no its a lord mayor in dublin……….why are there more than one lord mayors in each council area.more wasting of tax payers money..and it going to get worse when leo lets put transport fares up and add more tolls for more taxes throws his hat in to the ring for an elected lord mayor….
how many mayors do you have in dublin ?
Four, I think. City, Fingal, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin?
You gave to laugh at the idiots telling us all to be socialist while they are nothing of the sort themselves
thats abit looney
Did I read it right that the guy have 7000 of his “expenses” not his salary, my gut feeling is big wow why not give more and why the hell do these guys get away with getting so much money, oh I do know why because we always vote for the top three parties. This guy feels guilty about how much they get but only 7000out of 45000 expenses guilty
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