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Ministers to lose garda drivers, State cars
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15-03-2011 10:03pm#1
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What about our greatest ever leader Bertie:rolleyes: Did I not read somewhere, that he let his driving licence lapse:) Now this great patriot, is without a state car, and garda driver. That is terrible.
Plus the poor auld sod, according to last weeks SINDO, is about to have ST Lukes sold out from under his anorak.;)
He doesn't have a bank account:rolleyes:
SO how is this patriot, gonna live:P Will he live rough in one of our Coillte state owned forrests, which he is trying to flog to some China man for a few Remnbi's
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Why do ex taoiseachs get static garda security 24/7 on their homes. which costs us twice what the bloody car does.
I refer to Cowen Ahern, Bruton, Reynolds, and Cosgrave here. I also understand it applies to certain ex ministers of justice too. How much does that cost every year ?? Garrett Fitzgerald requested removal of this wasteful perk and his wish was granted. Fair play Garrett. Garrett also requested a Ford Galaxy car not a Merc...much easier to get in and out of at his age. However the main cost is the 2 Garda Drivers not the car itself.
This issue was reviewed a number of times in the past but this wasteful practice still continues.Speaking at the AGSI conference in Galway, Pat Byrne said it takes an average of 5 Gardaí to keep one post open on a 24-hour basis.
No change out of €300k a year.....EACH.... And we have to pay for their drivers who are not on 24/7 call
Ahern and Reynolds cost €175k each in Chauffeuring costs in 2009 and them both based in Dublin . It woulda been cheaper to hire the Monk and his skanger limos 
That parasite Ahern cost around €300k Static + €175k Car + His €200k Leinster House office + his TD salary + his pension + expenses in 2009 alone The bulk of €1m spent maintaining that thing.
There is no reason why these security arrangements should apply to any of them save perhaps for Ahern and Cowen ....and that only because they destroyed the country on their watch and should fear the wrath of the victims.....us !!0 -
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15/03/11
THE NEW GOVERNMENT has decided to cut back on ministerial transport arrangements, with all but three members of the cabinet being forced to supply their own cars from May.
This morning’s cabinet meeting decided that only the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality would still be given a State-supplied car with a full-time Garda driver – with all other members of the government having to stump up for their own cars in future.
Other ministers would still be given drivers, under the new regime that takes effect on May 1, but the car will have to be supplied by the minister themselves – in line with the arrangements already in effect for junior ministers.
Former Taoisigh – including Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen – and former Presidents will also lose their automatic right to an official state-supplied car and a Garda driver, except when they are required in line with important State occasions.
The President, Chief Justice and Director of Public Prosecutions are the only other people who retain a State car with a full-time Garda at the wheel.
In a statement, a government spokesman said that those three, as well as the three exempted ministers – currently Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore, and Alan Shatter – required the use of a Garda driver for security reasons.
The new moves will produce “very substantial savings”, the statement added, explaining that Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett and attorney general Máire Whelan will also lose their full-time drivers and state-supplied cars, and will have to produce their own vehicles in future.
In the case of the former Taoisigh and of former president Mary Robinson, the new transport arrangements come into effect in three months’ time.
http://www.thejournal.ie/cabinet-to-lose-ministerial-mercs-and-garda-drivers-2011-03/The Irish Times - Monday, May 2, 2011
Ministerial perk of Merc with Garda driver ends
MICHAEL O'REGAN
THE MINISTERIAL Mercedes, which changed for voters over the years from being a sign of local status to one of excess, will cease to be a familiar sight in most constituencies from today.
It was revealed last October that providing State cars and Garda drivers had cost almost €11 million over the previous two years.
Fine Gael and Labour made pre-election commitments to reduce the cost involved, and Ministers were given until the weekend to sort out new transport arrangements when the two parties came into power.
With the exception of President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, Ministers will provide their own cars from now on.
They will be entitled to mileage and to hire two civilian drivers paid for by the State.
The new arrangements are similar to those in place for several years for Ministers of State.
Former president Mary Robinson, and former taoisigh Liam Cosgrave, Garret FitzGerald, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, will also lose their State cars, although they will be entitled to official transport when attending State functions.
Chief Justice John Murray and Director of Public Prosecutions James Hamilton retain their official cars.
Mr Shatter, whose job it was to inform former senior office holders of the loss of the perk, has said the average annual cost of transport for a Minister of State, including drivers’ pay, was €120,000.
That contrasted, he said, with the estimated €280,000 it cost to provide senior Ministers with official cars and Garda drivers.
The 60 or so Garda drivers will be redeployed within the force and most of the vehicles in the car pool sold off.
Garda drivers worked hard and put in long hours while on duty. Some became a friend and confidante of the minister, while others had a tense relationship with their political boss, particularly in cases where the State car also became the family car.
The job was well remunerated, and Garda drivers who had three years’ service in the ministerial car pool in the last 10 years of service in the force could retire on annual pensions almost equal to those of Garda superintendents.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0502/1224295868113.html
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ministers-rehire-exgarda-drivers-in-mercs-shakeup-2634926.htmlMonday May 02 2011
MINISTERS are rehiring their former garda drivers as civilian employees to continue ferrying them around, the Irish Independent has learned.
Most cabinet members will officially lose their garda drivers today as part of the radical cut in the ministerial car fleet.
The Department of Finance did not require ministers to advertise the €35,000 per year civilian driver posts, leaving ministers to make their own selections privately.
Several ministers are taking on former garda drivers who worked for them in the 1994-1997 rainbow coalition government.
These include Finance Minister Michael Noonan, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar and Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin.
Besides a salary of around €35,000, the drivers will also be entitled to their garda pensions, which are worth an average of around €38,000 to the 9,651 retired members of the force currently receiving them.
But they won't receive a second public service pension for their work as civilian drivers, under ministerial guidelines published by the Department of Finance.
Ministers have the option of buying a "ministerial Merc" out of their own pocket -- but Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is going for a more understated model. He is leasing a Skoda for his civilian drivers -- each minister has two -- to transport him around.
Other ministers have not yet finalised the contracts for their drivers.
This means Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton will have to take a taxi to Dublin Airport today to attend a conference in Holland.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney plans to use public transport or drive himself until he recruits his civilian drivers.
Savings
Ministerial guidelines give ministers freedom to hire whoever they choose as their civilian drivers -- although the appointments must be approved by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Mr Noonan and Mr Howlin.
The Government's move to get most ministers to supply their own cars and hire civilian drivers is expected to reduce the cost to the taxpayer from around €5.5m to €3.5m.
The biggest saving is in wages -- two civilian drivers can be hired for each minister at an annual cost of €70,000 whereas the cost of two garda drivers would be around €154,000 per year.
Each civilian driver will work seven days on and seven days off.
The Government has also decided that former Taoisigh Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern, John Bruton, Albert Reynolds, Garret FitzGerald and Liam Cosgrave will lose their garda drivers from June 16 -- except for "important state occasions".
The size of the state car fleet will shrink from 27 to six, with only President Mary McAleese, Mr Kenny, Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, Justice Minister Alan Shatter, Director of Public Prosecutions James Hamilton and Chief Justice John L Murray retaining their official cars and garda drivers.
Up to 20 of the 54 garda drivers assigned to ministerial duties are expected to be retained for this work.
The Department of Justice said it would be a matter for An Garda Siochana to organise the sale of unwanted cars in the ministerial fleet -- some of which have more than 300,000 miles on the clock.
The fleet includes seven Mercedes, seven Audi A6s, three BMW 5 Series, four Lexus cars, two Toyota Prius hybrids, two Fords and one Citroen C6.
"The ultimate disposal of these cars is a matter for An Garda Siochana and is done by way of public auction the same way as it disposes of other cars in the garda fleet," a spokesman said.
- Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0105/cars.htmlEight months after the Government introduced new measures ending the use of ministerial cars for most of the cabinet it has emerged that none of the vehicles have yet been sold.
It is understood that the cars are currently being held in reserve and are being used as replacement vehicles for those still entitled to use state cars.
The government introduced new measures in May that brought an end to use of garda drivers and state cars by most of the cabinet with the exception of Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice.
The President, Chief Justice and Director of Public Prosecutions also retained their cars.
Under the new measures, state vehicles would also be made available to former Taoisigh and presidents on state occasions.
At the time there were 27 cars and 56 garda drivers and the government said the new measures would save €4m a year.
Most of the garda drivers were redeployed and ministers now use their own cars and hire civilian drivers.
Following a query last year the gardaí said a number of the vehicles would be retained to meet future needs with the remaining cars due to be sold at auction.
Recently the gardaí said they would not be commenting further for security reasons.
However it is now understood that none of the cars have yet been sold.
There are still plans to sell some of them in the future but it is understood that they are worth only a fraction of their original price due to high mileage and fallen market prices.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/axed-ministerial-drivers-allowed-to-retire-with-enhanced-pensions-2989317.html
Sunday January 15 2012
Garda drivers formerly assigned to the ministerial fleet have been allowed to retire on significantly enhanced pensions afforded to them because of their roles, the Sunday Independent has learned.
It has been confirmed that in "recognition of all of the overtime and unsociable hours" they worked, the drivers received an additional ministerial allowance worth 40 per cent of their salary on top of their basic wage.
Crucially, this significant top-up allowance was included in the calculation of their final pensionable salary, at the cost of millions to the taxpayer over the lifetime of the pensions.
Drivers in the fleet occupied the rank of garda member and their maximum basic salary was €45,793.
However, according to information from the Department of Justice, the specific top-up allowance paid to members of the ministerial pool is 40 per cent of their salary.
As a result of the top-up allowance, retiring drivers from the fleet receive pensions equivalent to those received by retiring superintendents, whose final maximum annual salary is €82,183.
The fleet of drivers has been reduced significantly to 22 drivers who have been retained to detail the small number of office holders who are still entitled to protection. About 30 drivers went back into specialised units, mainly in Dublin, once the fleet was reduced.
The Government, on taking office last March, disbanded the fleet except for a small number of office holders including the President, Taoiseach, Tanaiste, the Minister for Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Justice.
Former Taoisigh are entitled to the use of the state cars and drivers on request for special state occasions.
Ministerial drivers work a week-on/week-off roster Wednesday to Wednesday. During their week on they can accumulate a very large number of working hours and those assigned to rural office holders accumulate a very high number of miles within the working week.
There are six drivers assigned to President Michael D Higgins and the other office holders have two drivers each.
There are also a number of relief drivers who cover sick leave, annual leave and who will serve the former Taoisigh on big state occasions.
A host of luxury Lexus, Audi, Mercedes and Volvo cars used as the ministerial fleet by the previous Government remain under lock and key at Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park, eight months after being taken out of active service.
Back in September, it was stated that a number of the plush cars would be kept in reserve while the rest would be sold at auction.
However, no auction has yet taken place and there is a belief that the cars will be difficult to sell given the amount of miles accumulated during active service. No new cars have been purchased since 2009.
The Government repeatedly championed how it has saved €4.2m by reducing the size of the fleet but the figures quoted do not provide the full picture. Not one garda was sacked from his post, so the move to civilian drivers meant the taxpayer was hit for a further burden, not a reduced one.
Back in January 2009, this newspaper revealed how then-Taoiseach Brian Cowen refused to be chauffeured in a new €150,000 Mercedes S-Class because of "the changed financial and economic circumstances".
The State car languished unused for almost a year in a garage in the Phoenix Park. The top-of-the-range black Mercedes S350 was procured for his use the previous June, but believing it would send out the wrong signals, Mr Cowen declined to use it.
- DANIEL McCONNELL CHIEF REPORTER
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