Clare County Council has come under fire from Ombudsman Emily O Reilly over the cost of photocopying planning documents.
In a report submitted to the Dail the Ombudsman named the local authority as one of several nationwide that levy unjustifiable costs on members of the public who seek to copy documents.
According to the report from Emily O Reilly which has been submitted to the houses of the Oireachtas there a huge variation in the charges imposed by the various local authorities from zero to five euro.
Clare County Council was deemed one of the worst offenders when it came to excessive charging by reference to the Environment Department’s guidelines
Photocopying one A 4 document at Aras Contae on Chlair will set you back 60 cent.a 20 percent hikes on 2004 charges. An A3 photocopy will set you back 1.20 while an A1/ or larger is eight euro per page.
The local authority is on a par with several others including Limerick Tipperary and Kerry in relation to these charges which Emily O Reilly believes is excessive when the average cost of photocopying in a shop is around 10 cent.
Meanwhile Galway County Council is the worst offender when it comes to both excessive charges and setting a minimum charge. Photocopying just one A4 page there will set you back a whooping five euro
