A CASH-STRAPPED local authority has decided to spend taxpayers' money on giving its councillors lessons in archaeology and architectural awareness.

Roscommon County Council has slashed its spending on essential services such as housing and roads in recent months and is considering closing some of its libraries.

But the council has defended its training plans arguing that "elected members have a lot of interaction with archaeology" in a county which has 4,500 known monuments.

It is understood that it is the only council in the country to provide such training to its councillors.

It said that the county's 26 councillors needed to have a basic understanding of archaeology and architecture because they form an important point of contact between community groups and council staff.

"It is important that they have a basic understanding of the sensitivities involved in dealing with archaeology – historic graveyards for example, so they are not requesting works which might not be appropriate such as new paved paths," said a spokesman.

The council is currently battling a severe financial crisis triggered by a sharp reduction in its state funding. Last year, it was forced to suspend all roadworks due to lack of finance. Its councillors recently backed a harsh budget which saw double-digit funding cuts for most departments.

These included a 46% reduction in funding for council house repairs and the closure of some social projects such as the county's school library scheme. The council has also admitted that cuts to its road budget have left it unable to properly maintain the county's roads.

The full cost of the training programme is unclear although the archaeological classes are expected to cost around €12,000. The training will be paid for through a combination of council funding and government grants.