AG’s pooch ‘hitches ride’ in state car

A STATE car was used to transport a pet dog belonging to Attorney General Paul Gallagher from Dublin to Kerry, a Government source confirmed yesterday.

However, the source insisted that the main purpose of the journey was to deliver urgent paperwork to Mr Gallagher and it was merely “incidental” that the dog was also brought along.

Mr Gallagher has a holiday home in his native Kerry, and he was there over the Christmas period when the incident occurred.

According to the source, an urgent work issue arose which meant that important papers had to be delivered to Mr Gallagher from Dublin.

Given that the state car was travelling from the capital, the Attorney General requested that the dog be transported in the vehicle as well.

A Sunday newspaper yesterday quoted another Government figure as saying: “The dog essentially just hitched a lift . . . [The driver] was going down anyway. It needs to be clear that this is most definitely not a case of the Attorney General abusing the state car in order that this dog be taken down to him.”

The Government press office refused to comment on the matter, saying: “We do not comment on state car usage for security reasons.”

The incident follows recent controversy over the use of the Government jet by Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue during his tenure as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.