'Abandon all trips' - McCambridge

She was speaking at a meeting of Moyle Council and said: “If we are showing leadership we should abandon all trips.”

She said friendship trips to places like Ballinasloe and Killorglin where the Puck Fair is held, should be axed.

She added: “I know there are social connotations to them but we are in very hard times and we should do away with spending on trips.”

But her comment came too late for consideration at the meeting and she was told by Council Chairperson, Cllr Price McConaghy (Independent), she should put the matter on the agenda for a future council meeting.

Earlier the Council agreed to discuss a suggestion by Sinn Fein councillor Oliver McMullan about the amount of money spent on trips and expenses as part of the consideration of next year’s rates.

Cllr McMullan said each councillor in Moyle has a 500 allowance for conferences and courses and he said all trips should come out of that amount.

He said the move would show the Council is serious about cutting expenses at a time when public sector efficiency savings have to be made.

He also proposed that a 7,500 ‘capacity building’ budget for councillors is frozen.

Cllr McMullan said trips to places like Ballinasloe can cost 450 per councillor and he said there are other trips to Islay and Killorglin.

Ulster Unionist councillor Willie Graham said Cllr McMullan should talk to a party member who he said was booked into the plush Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe for two nights “but never turned up”.

Cllr McMullan said there were personal reasons for that but Cllr Graham said the hotel still could have been informed.

Ulster Unionist councillor Helen Harding said not all councillors use their 500 allowance and SDLP councillor Orla Black said she had gave up her amount.