Gormley hires €3.5k limo to see London

Home News | International | Letters | Editorial & Opinion

Ken Foxe, Public Affairs Correspondent

John Gormley: hired a €735-a-day Mercedes people carrier for St Patrick's Day trip to London

London Eye: visited by Gormley

ENVIRONMENT minister John Gormley used a €735-a-day limousine service on personal visits to the London Eye and a West End show.

Details of a St Patrick's Day visit for the minister show that Gormley had the use of a Mercedes people-carrier for up to 15 hours a day during the trip.

The bill for the vehicle, hired through Cartel Direct limousines and luxury cars, was €3,580, according to documents released by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

According to Gormley's official itinerary, the day of 17 March began with a 10am meeting with Andrew McKinlay, a British MP.

The rest of the day, right up to the time of his departure at 9.50pm from London Heathrow, was marked "private".

Official invoices reveal, however, that a hire car was made available that day for the minister's use for 14 hours, at a cost to the taxpayer of £560.

And according to an email regarding arrangements for the trip sent by his private secretary, Eddie Kiernan, Gormley made a personal visit to the London Eye tourist attraction that day.

Three days earlier, the environment minister also had the use of the limousine service for 15 hours at a cost of £600.

According to an official itinerary of his trip, Gormley's official engagements began that day at 9am, when he departed his hotel, and ended at 4.45pm with "afternoon tea" at the Dorchester Hotel.

Also included in that day's official business was a visit to the Thames flood barrier, which Gormley had requested.

From the records, it appears that the chauffeur-driven car was made available for the entire day as the environment minister made a private visit to a West End show.

On 15 March, the limousine service was again made available to Gormley when he travelled to Twickenham for the Ireland vs England rugby match.

The minister's spokesman would not comment on whether the use of a limousine for personal reasons was justified.

He also declined to comment on whether Gormley planned to refund those parts of the bill which appeared to arise from personal matters.

"I can't deal with your... query because it involves family members in a time-slot marked 'private time'," a statement from the Department of the Environment said.

An email sent from the minister's private secretary, Eddie Kiernan, indicates that Gormley had intended to use public transport at some stage.

"In terms of getting around London, the minister would prefer to use taxis or public transport rather than hire a car," the email said. "Does the embassy have a people-carrier that the minister could use, as this would also be an option?"

According to records from the trip, Gormley's total bill for two rooms at the Dorchester Hotel came to €5,112.

However, around half of that was reimbursed because it was for accommodation for Gormley's two children and another relative.

January 3, 2010

Comments

#1 Daithí commented, on January 3, 2010 at 9:36 p.m.:

Its Ironic that Gormley went on the London Eye on his St Paddy's day junket, a big wheel that just goes around and around, costs a lot of money, but doesn't really do a lot. A bit like ministerial trips on St Patrick's day. Surely it is time to call a halt to this waste of money. And please stop the groveling tradition of the Irish head of state handing a bowl of shamrock to the American President every year when it would be more appropriate for him to be Ireland. When did you last see the American President in Ireland for the 4th of July.

#2 Jim commented, on January 3, 2010 at 10:43 p.m.:

Maybe the Irish Embassy should have a word with the Mayor of London and ask him to follow Dublin City Council in introducing a bike hire scheme--this would help Minister Gormley on future Ministerial visits and cut out such profligate waste of public monies. After the next general election I dont think Minister Gormley will be spending our money in this manner anymore.

#3 g.mc arder commented, on January 3, 2010 at 11:42 p.m.:

Gormley is just "Gormless"!

#4 John commented, on January 4, 2010 at 3:17 a.m.:

This story shows how the Greens have adopted the sense of entitlement so endemic in Fianna Fail. I hope the minister enjoyed his jaunts around London at the taxpayers expense.

#5 derek commented, on January 6, 2010 at 1:46 p.m.:

as people are struggling to heat their homes let us not forget the greens are responsible for increasing the price of coal ,gas and petrol etc. the next green who rings my doorbell will get the sprouts
kicked out of them. yes i will go to prison i have no job anyway so what the hell.how many old folks will die because of them ,do you think the fuel allowance will cover their heating bills.their a bunch of idiots. that thick in the dail using the f word just shows you what their standards are.

#6 Jaker commented, on January 7, 2010 at 10:09 p.m.:

When this massive load of snow thaws as it will...then there will be more floods...I would just like to pass that on to Mr Gormley (the Minister of Snow & Floods) but seeing that he didn't do anything about the plight of people affected by the pre Christmas flood's & now he's not doing anything positive to ease the condition's of the aft Christmas snow...how in God's name will he deal with the oncoming event of "Floods 2" when he & his government didn't address "Floods 1". They're all a shower of "Snow" & as damaging as a "Monster Deluge"! May God, if he exists? "Help us All" & may he dump a ton of Snow on this shower of a government & especially on the "Minister of Snow & Floods"!

#7 John commented, on January 8, 2010 at 10:25 p.m.:

This is more criminal behavour by one of our TD's who oversaw the demise of our state. He and his fellow TD's waste money while Gardai and Soldiers who put their lives on the line over the years serving this country take pay cuts. Some have to retire early to keep their hard earned pensions. Shame on him, he is a joke, just a tree hugger and should do the honourable thing and resign. The Greens have adopted the sense of entitlement so endemic in Fianna Fail. I hope he enjoyed his jaunts around London at the taxpayers expense because he will not be in office long more, just do the sum's 350,000 X extended family members (comes to a lot of votes) role on the election it cannot come soon enough. Signed: One of the many anti Green's.

P.S. How many public and Civil Servants Cycle to work on his give away €1,000 bicycles in this wet country. (More waste of Tax Payers money).

#8 Martin O'Brien commented, on January 10, 2010 at 1:27 a.m.:

A useless shower of muppets. Is it possible for the gov. to get anything right? It seems like they are just walking around the halls of Dail walking into walls. Time for change. BIG CHANGE.

#9 steo commented, on January 10, 2010 at 3:39 p.m.:

What Gormley on Primetime the other night, he really does not have a clue about the real world. As for his responses, he may as well have not bothered. The Greens are a joke of a party.