Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

My question was whether the Taoiseach recalled getting a request from the Minister for Transport in accordance with the Cabinet 2007 handbook, which stipulates a request must be made to the Taoiseach in such matters. Given that the car was going there and the PSNI had to be instructed as regards security, perhaps the Taoiseach might like to comment on that.

Just before Deputy Gilmore comes in, the Taoiseach will be aware that the Cabinet handbook needs amendment because it has been breached on a number of occasions by members of the Government. The use of the Government jet has to be cleared by the Taoiseach, and clearly in a number of cases something peculiar happened. I have asked questions before as regards how the Government jet arrived in Las Vegas. Some confused meteorological conditions were indicated as the reason it was there overnight. The Minister of Defence was caught out charging the taxpayer €46,000 over several years to pay Fianna Fáil activists to deliver leaflets across the constituency. Has the Taoiseach tightened up on this regime, and in that sense is it made perfectly clear on a regular basis to his colleagues in Government that there are rules and regulations in the Government handbook that should be strictly adhered to, and if not that he, as Taoiseach, will ensure infringements are punished accordingly?

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