Roads of gold for civil servants on the move

I WAS appalled by your front page report regarding civil servants’ expenses (Irish Examiner, October 17).

How can the Government justify a €1.24 per mile as a fair mileage rate, even with the recent petrol rises?

A return trip to Dublin from Cork (assuming 180 miles each way) would net the driver over €440 tax free, while the train would cost up to €110 for the same return journey in less time.

With those mileage rates, why would any civil servant use environmentally friendly public transport? Is it time to let Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary take over the country and save us from having to line the pockets of civil servants?

Phil Oakley

The Spinnaker

Harty’s Quay

Rochestown

Cork