One Councillor has refused to accept a General Municipal Allowance (GMA) for 2026.
The GMA for 2026 amounts to €10,000 per Councillor. While all other Councillors are allocating this fund back into their areas through community groups and initiatives, Independent Councillor Donal Barry says he cannot do so, as the process is ‘undemocratic’ and is funded by an ‘unjust property tax’.
In Waterford the Municipal District breakdown is as follows: the Metropolitan District, with 18 Councillors, receives a total of €180,000; Dungarvan Lismore District, with 9 Councillors, receives a total of €92,000; and Comeragh District with 5 Councillors receives a total of €50,000.
The GMA is a discretionary fund which local councillors can allocate to groups in their local community. The council explains that the fund is advertised to encourage groups to contact the councillor directly.
The council provides examples of appropriate projects, such as: Arts Programme, Burial Grounds, CIS: Community Improvement Schemes, Community Grants, Feasibility Studies, Festivals & Concerts, Footpaths, LIS: Local Improvement Schemes, Local road Maintenance, ORIS, Parks, Pitches & Open Spaces, Playgrounds, Provision/Improvement of Leisure Facilities, Public Conveniences, Town & Village renewal.
DISAGREEMENT
Following a question from Cllr Joeanne Bailey, Metropolitan Mayor Adam Wyse, explained where his GMA would go and why.
“I received 11 AED units, highly discounted,” said Mayor Wyse. “The usual cost would be about €16,000 each.
“The reason I have allocated defibrillator units is because playing sports in different organisations and groups, it’s the last thing anyone thinks of, and they are very expensive when you are only buying one. That’s why there is still a gap in the city and other areas where they are not available,” he said.
“Or people come to us privately from other organisations that had an AED, but it is now outdated, needs to be updated and they don’t have the funds.”
It later emerged that one councillor did not allocate their portion of the GMA. Some confusion followed this information as the council executive was corrected by the elected members—it was generally agreed that an unused GMA would go back to Councillors in that Local Electoral Area so each region received the same proportion of the funding.
In a statement to The Munster Express, Cllr Donal Barry explained that the GMA is undemocratic as it gives the elected members political advantage and comes directly from property taxes.
“I want to be absolutely clear about why I cannot support the General Municipal Allowance,” said Cllr Barry.
“I fully support community groups. Many are doing incredible work across Waterford, often stepping in where services fall short. However, I do not support Local Property Tax, in my view an unfair tax on the family home,” he said.
“So, I am certainly not going to oppose the LPT and gain from a 15% increase imposed upon the homeowners in Waterford City and County.
“Under the General Municipal Allowance, a total of €320,000 is being made available to councillors in 2026 to allocate to community groups and local initiatives. That is public money — coming from your taxes. The GMA was introduced to support an increase in the Local Property Tax in Waterford of 15%,” Cllr. Barry said.
“Individual councillors are then placed in a position where they decide how that money is distributed. Each councillor has €10,000 and some have €12,000 of your money to give away,” he said.
“That is where the problem lies. When you break that figure down, it effectively places a significant level of funding influence in the hands of individual councillors. And while the intention may be to support communities, the outcome is not always fair. Some groups receive funding multiple times. Others — just as deserving — receive nothing.
“Not because of need, but because of access or connection. That is not fairness,” Cllr. Barry said.
“When councillors are seen to hand out funding, it builds goodwill. It builds recognition. And whether intended or not, it creates political advantage. That puts anyone trying to enter politics at a serious disadvantage. Because how do you compete with someone who can go around allocating public money?” he questioned.
“That is not a level playing field. That is not healthy democracy. This is not about questioning anyone’s intentions — it is about recognising the effect of the system,” he said.
“If we are serious about fairness, then funding should not depend on who you know, who you meet, or who you ask. Community groups deserve better than this. And the public deserves a system where their money is distributed fairly — not one that risks being seen as political patronage.
“That is why I will continue to speak out on this,” Cllr. Barry added.
AARON KENT Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
