Car-pooling proposal in bid to cut costs of ‘Ministerial Mercs’

A CAR-POOLING arrangement is to be introduced in a bid to reduce the costs of “Ministerial Mercs” but the Government has admitted that the detail is still to be worked out.

Ministers provoked outrage when they appeared one by one in their chauffeur-driven Mercs for a budget meeting at Farmleigh earlier this year.

In the budget book yesterday, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan pledged that the operational cost of the state car fleet would be reduced by one third over the next two years.

This will be done by:

- Introducing a pooling arrangement so that former office-holders, such as ex-taoisigh and presidents, and “other users” will get a car only when they require one;

- Reducing the number of gardaí assigned to this work on a daily basis; and

- Opting for less powerful, and therefore less expensive, vehicles as the cars in the fleet are replaced.

But the Department of Finance was unable to say last night how the new pooling system would work, and a source at the Department of Justice admitted that the details were still to be worked out.

It’s envisaged that demand on the fleet will be reduced in the first instance by pooling cars for the likes of the ex-taoisigh as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Justice.

Those people are either mainly office-based, and do not need a dedicated car on standby all day, or in the case of retired office holders, do not undertake the same level of travel as ministers.

It’s envisaged that rural-based ministers will retain a dedicated car each. Dublin-based ministers are more likely to be asked to participate in the pooling system.

But it is thought that a car will always be on hand to transport ministers given concerns over security.

Security arrangements have been “stepped up significantly” in the last six months because of fears that ministers will be attacked, the source said.

Figures released by the Department of Justice recently revealed the state car fleet costs an average of almost €5.5 million a year.

In all, a total of 26 cars were provided for ministers and other current and former office-holders last year.

A total of 54 armed gardaí, known as “Garda Protection Officers”, drive and protect the passengers.

Meanwhile, Mr Lenihan has also said the coalition will not replace one of the Government jets which has reached the end of its lifespan. The Government currently has two jets — a Gulfstream for long-haul and a smaller Learjet for travel within Europe.

The Gulfstream is at the end of its lifespan and the Government said it has “no plans to replace or repair this aircraft”.