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No More Limos As Irish Embassy In London Buys A People Carrier

Friday October 23 2009

The Irish Embassy in London has bought a people carrier to cut costs associated with the chauffeuring of ministers.

It has emerged the seven-seater vehicle was bought last January "for reasons of economy" -- even before the controversy over John O'Donoghue's lavish spending on limousines.

The plan is to curtail the expensive practice of paying private companies to ferry visiting dignitaries around London and even between airport terminals.

It emerged during the controversy over Mr O'Donoghue's expenses that he had been provided with a 24-hour service while attending the 2007 Cheltenham Races at a cost of €1,400-a-day.

The taxpayer forked out €472 for the limousine between two London airports when Mr O'Donoghue could have taken a three minute bus ride for free.

Overall, the London Embassy splashed €127,663 on chauffeur-driven cars in 2007 and a further €101,053 last year.

But the days of ministers enjoying limousine transfers are over and it will be people-carriers from here on in.

And chauffeur-driven cars should not be hired at all "unless there are compelling business reasons to do so". According to Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin, the Embassy's three decade old practice of hiring cars "was informed by a number of logistical considerations, including security concerns".

Reduction

However, "for reasons of economy" officials decided to purchase their own car in January. It will now be used, along with the official embassy car, to transport visiting delegations in Britain.

Mr Martin has now predicted "a dramatic reduction in expenditure on hiring chauffeur-driven cars, in London and elsewhere". In reply to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar, the minister explained: "For well over 25 years, the embassy in London had routinely hired chauffeur-driven cars for ministerial delegations and those of other senior office holders visiting Britain or transiting British airports."

The Department of Foreign Affairs issued instructions to all its overseas missions earlier this year advising them to reduce the use of hired cars and to make bookings only if specific instructions come from Dublin.

Source; herald.ie

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