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The cost of hospitality at meetings and civic receptions held by Cookstown District Council over the last three years to taxpayers was £13,134.
But the total spend in Cookstown is not even 40% of the £33,398 forked out under the cost code for “civic events/hospitality” in Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council, according to two Freedom of Information requests submitted by this newspaper.
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Hide AdThe figures provided outline a massive difference between the two districts, but year-on-year the spend at each council has remained roughly the same.
In 2011/12 Dungannon spent £10,926 on items such as tea, coffee, milk, sugar, biscuits and sandwiches - though it is unclear whether this figure also included bottled water.
Dungannon’s outlay that year, however, was a massive 330% greater than the £3,310 spent in Cookstown, which when broken down, showed that £2,514 went on civic events with a further £796 paid for refreshments at council meetings.
During 2012/13 Dungannon (£11,100) again outspent Cookstown by 180% - a huge percentage drop on the previous year due greater expenditure in Cookstown (£6,136) with £5,231 paid out for civic events.
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Hide AdIn the most recent financial year Cookstown’s outlay on hospitality decreased to £3,688 - 308% less than Dungannon’s £11,372 expense - with £2,845 going on civic events and awards and £843 on meetings.
A representative for Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council was quick to point out that in 1999 the council adopted a policy that only fair trade tea, coffee and sugar be used in council buildings, and that the supply of sandwiches “is strictly controlled” and only occurs when a meeting runs over.
Cookstown District Council, by their own admission hold no policy on fair-trade items, but they did outline in their reply to our FOI that they only offer jugs of tap water at council meetings.