Sergeant retires from gardaí to drive Noonan’s finance rescue mission

A MAN who knows Finance Minister Michael Noonan better than most is set to join the ministerial team and over coming years will be closer to the minister than any adviser or civil servant.

Sgt Gerry Rigney was Mr Noonan’s garda driver when he was minister for health between 1995 and 1997.

Later this week he retires to take up a position as Mr Noonan’s civilian driver under the new arrangements whereby state cars are not provided and driven by the gardaí for most members of the Government.