Councillors are calling for a 40% pay hike due to what they say is a substantial increase in workload.

The increase would see their income go from just over €16,000 per year to around €22,500.

John Crowe, the president of Irish Association of Irish Local Government, thinks councillors deserve to be better paid.

He said: "The amount of work that councillors are doing nationwide is unbelievable. They are the people that are on the ground, they are the people that are meeting people before 7am.

"Any problem in the area, the first person you would go to is your county councillor."