Dublin councillors won’t have to repay ‘excessive’ printing costs

Dublin city councillors will not be asked to repay the costs of “excessive usage ” of council printing facilities totalling more than €8,600 in six months.

But councillors this morning agreed to stick to a new printing limit of 5,000 pages per councillor per month.

The decision by the council's protocol committee follows controversy about 140,000 anti-water charge leaflets printed by People Before Profit councillors Tina MacVeigh and John Lyons.

The council's executive manager Vincent Norton told councillors that in January alone 87,733 pages were printed by just seven of the 63 council members, and from September to the end of December last 391,896 pages or leaflets were printed by 11 councillors.

An intern was also involved in the printing during both periods.

Mr Norton said he was prompted to investigate printer usage after it was brought to his attention that “excessive amounts of paper” were being requested for councillors since the local elections last year, in comparison with previous years.

He was also aware that maintenance staff were being called to fix printers on a very regular basis. “It was reported that these problems arose from excessive use of the printers. Some members of the city council also reported that they found it difficult to access the printers as they were constantly in use by other members.”

Mr Norton wanted to retain a printing limit of 2,000, but councillors agreed to a 5,000 limit which will be reviewed next September.

Ms MacVeigh and Mr Lyons, who had printed in the region of 140,000 anti-water charge leaflets will not have to repay any costs.