Coveney retained €200,000 State car and Garda drivers without Cabinet approval

No Government decision was taken about the retention of a State car and two Garda drivers for Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney who is no longer tánaiste, the Taoiseach confirmed.

Micheál Martin told Labour leader Alan Kelly in relation to the move that it "didn't have to go before Cabinet.

“My understanding is that there is a security dimension to that which I’m not going to interfere with,” he said in the Dáil.

Mr Kelly has repeatedly raised the issue and said the retention of a car and two drivers by Mr Coveney is costing €200,000 a year.

Over 2,000 pandemic unemployment payments stopped after airport checks - Taoiseach

---

Almost 6,000 people a day arriving into Ireland by air

---

Call for ban on hare coursing licences as new cases of deadly virus are identified

---

Compensation scheme to be introduced for families of health workers who die with coronavirus

---

He pointed to the cabinet decision made in 2011 during the recession to abolish State cars with Garda drivers for all but three members of Government.

Only the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice are allowed the State car and drivers.

In the new tripartite Coalition Mr Coveney has been succeeded as Tánaiste by Leo Varadkar.

Mr Kelly also asked when the decision was made to appoint an aide-de-camp for the Tánaiste “which is bloody well ridiculous”. It is practice only for the President and the Taoiseach to have a military attache who either attends with them or represents them officially at events.

In a statement afterwards the Labour leader said there should be clarity about why there was no Cabinet approval for Mr Coveney keeping the car and drivers and he asked if An Garda Síochána would be reimbursed for the €1 million expected cost if the administration lasts a full term.

The Labour leader said he had been informed in a parliamentary reply that each State car for a government minister costs €200,000 annually.

“The Government decision of 2011 still stands, but it now appears that the outgoing tánaiste held on to his State car when he left that office. Who made that decision?”

He asked on what authority Mr Coveney could go against a previous Cabinet decision, and “why was this all decided orally without any paper or decision trail”.

Mr Kelly said he had received correspondence that on Sunday June 28th “the Secretary General of the Department of Justice received a query from the Secretary to the Government as to whether it was appropriate on security grounds for Minister Coveney to retain his Garda driver. This in turn was communicated to An Garda Síochána by phone.”

“Such a phone call to An Garda Síochána leaves them in a very difficult position, how can they say no to officials when the request is coming from the highest level of Government? At no point was the garda car ceded by the outgoing tánaiste.”

“This Government has lost the run of itself, awarding itself pay rises, then pay cuts; aide de camps, extra Garda cars, and additional special advisers. It has left itself open to ridicule at a time when the country needs responsible government.”