Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I want to start by apologising to Deputy Kelly. He asked a question on 23 September and asked the same question on 9 October. In both questions, he asked about the total remuneration package paid to the current Garda Commissioner and the former Garda Commissioner. The answer he got was incomplete. It was very restricted in that it outlined only the salary of the current Garda Commissioners and stated that the previous Commissioner had had the same salary. It did not include, as Deputy Kelly has said, details about the fact that the previous Garda Commissioner had been provided with accommodation in Phoenix Park by the Office of Public Works and that the rent on that had been paid by An Garda Síochána. The rent was €1,800 per month. While I am conscious that the personal tax details of individuals are confidential, I can confirm that the former Commissioner paid benefit-in-kind in respect of that arrangement.

The question Deputy Kelly is asking goes further than those he asked in September and October. It also seeks information on other financial costs to the State related to the appointments. In respect of that and on foot of a security assessment by An Garda Síochána, expenditure of €212,000 was incurred by the Garda Vote for security at the house. An annual monitoring charge of €2,500 was incurred for those security arrangements. Neither I nor my predecessors have commented on those security arrangements for serving Garda Commissioners.

In respect of the pension arrangements, the former Commissioner had the option to join the single public service pension scheme or receive a pension contribution, equivalent to 18.4% of the salary, into a pension scheme nominated by him. He waived that and, in fairness to him, that resulted in a considerable financial gain that he did not seek to accrue.

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