DUBLIN, Ireland–This country’s credit unions are once again being pilloried in the news media for expenses related to sending a delegation to the World Council of Credit Unions/CUNA’s America’s Credit Union Conference in Denver next week.
Under the headline, “Credit Union spends €50,000 on Denver jolly,” the Independent reported that 11 members of the Irish League of Credit Unions were scheduled to make the trip to the meeting “at the
foot of the scenic Rocky Mountains.”
The Independent quoted from a statement provided by the Irish league that confirmed “11 ILCU board members (one of which is the Irish WOOCU director, and one of which is speaking at the conference), three members of the supervisory committee, one staff member and two scholarship winners will attend the conference.”
The publication noted that while the tasks of the delegation will be to promote WOCCU’s 2016 meeting, which will take place in Belfast, Ireland, the 2015 meeting also includes a golf tournament and trips to available to the Coors Brewery, the Rocky Mountains and California's wine growing region.
"The total cost of attendance at the conference this year is likely to be around the €50k incurred last year,” the Independent quoted the Irish League as stating. “Costs covered in the above figure include airfare, hotel accommodation and registration costs, which pay for the staging of the conference…It should be noted that the ILCU board of directors are not remunerated for their work. Unlike banks and financial institutions, Board members who are involved with the credit union movement hold these positions for beliefs, not for bonuses. Board members from the ILCU who will attend this conference will take holidays/leave from their day-to-day jobs in order to attend and to remain up-to-date on the latest worldwide developments within the credit union movement."