Driving testers paid €485,000 in transport costs

ALMOST half a million euro was paid last year to 118 driving testers by the Department of Transport to travel between testing centres.

The figure was revealed by the department in response to a Green Party statement highlighting that 90% of the €30m travel expense bill paid out to civil servants last year went on car mileage.

The party’s transport spokesman Eamon Ryan was told in reply to a parliamentary question that Transport Minister Seamus Brennan’s department paid €676,500 in mileage to public servants last year. In contrast, just €4,400 was paid to cover rail or bus ticket expenses.