New Government State Cars

selfobsessed

Why did RTE not show what state car james reailly had yesterday? or alan shatter? What is kennt being driven in? just wondering to see if they lived up to their promise of cutting out ministerial mercs

sollar

I seen eamon gilmore arriving into the dail the other day in a ford focus

Jagle

sollar wrote: »

I seen eamon gilmore arriving into the dail the other day in a ford focus

and i saw him in a 2010 mondeo

dixiefly

And the cabinet went to the Aras for their seals of office in a bus!

Amazing that the obsessives that are looking to throw whatever they can at the new government didnt notice that:D

wow sierra

As far as I remember they have asked for advice from the Department of Justice and Transport to decide how to reduce the number and cost of state cars etc.

They say they expect a report within a few weeks. But if people have already got their new state cars it will be too late. I remember Brian Cowan tried to return his new state car at one stage but the garage refused to take it back and it was costing money to store it etc.

Watch this space.....

SB-08

Joan Burton arrived today by bus according to the Herald. And Ruairi Quinn often got the Dart to work when he was Finance Minister so will probably continue to do so as Education Minister.

jank

Kenny has asked the OPW for a report in two weeks on reducing the number and cost of these cars. Instead of every minister getting a car they are going to reduce the numbers and have a pool of cars for ministers.

We will see in 2 weeks what the story is.

baalthor

Skoda had an ad in the Indo yesterday offering to supply the govt ministers with a fleet of Superbs to replace the current "more extravagant" models ...

ninty9er

The ministers would have no reason to care what type of car it is, it's the drivers ferrying them around for the couple of hundred thousand kms for the lifetime of the car that would be more concerned about that.

the groutch

what they should do is have them driven by people currently on the dole who would be qualified to do so, rather than wasting Gardai on them.
Only Edna, Gilmore & Noonan should need Garda protection

Denerick

This is all so very silly. Busy people don't care about how they get to their next meeting. I'd rather they were shuffled along, preferably reading important reports and getting important briefings, than having to sit through traffic on the Drumcondra road, listening to Joe Duffy and/or crap music.

Give them their cars. Let them do their job. A few perks won't kill anyone. This is a populist sideshow.

bijapos

dixiefly wrote: »

And the cabinet went to the Aras for their seals of office in a bus!

Amazing that the obsessives that are looking to throw whatever they can at the new government didnt notice that:D

In 2007 they went with a Bus Eirann coach as well with Garda motorbike outriders, so its nothing new.

I think they will also have to change some regulations or laws. AFAIK certain state documents can only be transported by Gardai, which is one of the reasons we have Garda drivers.

UsernameInUse

Why do politicians need special cars anyway?

Is it impossible to drive their own into work like the rest of us?

Einhard

UsernameInUse wrote: »

Why do politicians need special cars anyway?

Is it impossible to drive their own into work like the rest of us?

Well to be honest, ministers aren't like the rest of us. They are very busy people, who often have to travel long distances to diverse locations in short time periods. I'd much rather a minister being able to read important reports, and discuss important matters in, say, the three hour journey from Dublin to Cork, than wasting valuable time in driving himself, and all for the sake of a populist stunt. The proposed new pooled cars arrangement is a good compromise thought. Each minister will have a car and driver if needed, but not one on call 24/7.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Sleepy

baalthor wrote: »

Skoda had an ad in the Indo yesterday offering to supply the govt ministers with a fleet of Superbs to replace the current "more extravagant" models ...

The Skoda Superb would make a great state car: luxurious and still reasonably priced...

GSF

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Maybe the should stop opening off licences and attending funerals too if time is so valuable?

Valmont

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

I think you overestimate the work ethic of our ministers! I was waiting at a bus stop in Ashford at some point during 06 (I think) and an official car drove by in some moderate traffic containing our then-Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, fast asleep with his head leaning against the window in the back. Reading reports my arse.

the_syco

Valmont wrote: »

containing our then-Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, fast asleep with his head leaning against the window in the back. Reading reports my arse.

In that case, thankfully he's asleep in the back, and not asleep at the wheel...

poppyvalley

SB-08 wrote: »

Joan Burton arrived today by bus according to the Herald. And Ruairi Quinn often got the Dart to work when he was Finance Minister so will probably continue to do so as Education Minister.

Well...It's a good start. Just let us not be too reactionary & see how things go, especially with the awful, awful bloody state we're in.

BrianD

UsernameInUse wrote: »

Why do politicians need special cars anyway?

Is it impossible to drive their own into work like the rest of us?

It's a company car. Most of them need one. It's the cost of operating them that's the problem. Needs to be streamlines. Yes they do need to cut out out going to funerals and opening off licences.

mikemac

People still going on about the off license?
It was ten years ago and there were three general elections since then,

Nobody forgets anything around here

BrianD

feelingstressed wrote: »

People still going on about the off license?
It was ten years ago and there were three general elections since then,

Nobody forgets anything around here

It's the thing that most people remember.

The problem is that elected TDs spend too much time dealing with local issues that county councillors and regional/local authorities should be dealing with. They are not elected to fix potholes, get passports for constituents or other trivial work. They are all elected to run the country.

The above is one reason why ministers were happy to keep the official car system going ... they'd never be able to do the driving required to get up and down to their constituency.

I hear that Kenny walked to work on the first day.

Hootanany

BrianD wrote: »

It's the thing that most people remember.

The problem is that elected TDs spend too much time dealing with local issues that county councillors and regional/local authorities should be dealing with. They are not elected to fix potholes, get passports for constituents or other trivial work. They are all elected to run the country.

The above is one reason why ministers were happy to keep the official car system going ... they'd never be able to do the driving required to get up and down to their constituency.

I hear that Kenny walked to work on the first day.

From Mayo:eek:

Sierra Oscar

BrianD wrote: »

I hear that Kenny walked to work on the first day.

Well in all fairness, on that day he was residing one minute from Leinster House.