Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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74. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the full details of the remuneration packages and any other financial costs to the State related to the appointments and terms served of the current Garda Commissioner and the previous Garda Commissioner. [68764/25]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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As the Minister is aware, I asked a number of parliamentary questions regarding the remuneration of the former Garda Commissioner but the information provided to me was not accurate. It was misleading. There was a deal with the former Commissioner in relation to his accommodation and that rent was not indexed, so there was a loss to the taxpayer. Essentially, his rent was subsidised and paid for. Is the Minister going to provide the full details? Will he apologise and correct the record? In future, will he ensure his answers are not misleading to this House?

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

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for correcting the record. Only for my party colleague Deputy Eoghan Kenny, asking questions in the Committee of Public Accounts, we would not have found this out. I asked numerous questions about this. I spoke to the Garda Representative Association today and was told about so many gardaí who are resigning because they cannot afford to pay rent. The Minister is probably aware of this. Accommodation was provided to a Commissioner and the rent was not indexed. There was a considerable loss to the State where, basically, the rent was not being paid. This is the Accounting Officer for An Garda Síochána and it is low rent. Why was this arrangement not advertised as part of the package when we were looking for a Commissioner? Why was it not part of the job evaluation afterwards once it was awarded? Why did An Garda Síochána look for a house in 2017 prior to a Commissioner even being appointed? The head of the OPW at a meeting of the public accounts committee two weeks ago said it had actually been leased in 2017. Is that accurate? Will the Minister also confirm whether there were any other costs during those seven years in relation to this accommodation that were, in any way, met by the taxpayer?

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Obviously, there were unusual aspects to the appointment of the previous Commissioner because he was from outside An Garda Síochána. He came externally and, obviously, issues arise in respect of that. However, I went back and looked at some of the coverage of the new Commissioner’s appointment. On 13 December 2017, The Irish Times reported, “The Government may pay the accommodation costs and education fees for dependent children if an international candidate is selected for the role of Garda Commissioner.” It was obviously envisaged at the time that if someone were going to be appointed to the job of Garda Commissioner from outside of Ireland, accommodation costs would have to be paid in respect of that individual. That situation arose. As I said, the information should have been provided to the Deputy in respect of the rent that was paid on the former Commissioner's behalf by An Garda Síochána. That should have been provided to the Deputy previously.

As for any other costs, aside from the payments the former Commissioner received which I have already provided to the Deputy, namely, the rent and property and the other financial costs associated with expenditure on doing up the house for security reasons, I am not aware of any other expenditure or extra package that was available to that Commissioner.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Why was this hidden for seven years? That is a real question. Second, other candidates were not aware of this accommodation scenario. Was it, therefore, a fair competition? This is not the first time that I have submitted questions to the Minister’s Department that have not been answered. When the Minister commenced in his role, I asked questions regarding holsters. The Minister wrote to me in that regard, but his response was inaccurate. On that occasion, I went to him and he wrote to me again but, again, the response was inaccurate and I had to tell him that. The Minister had to write to me three times on the one question. I am also the Member who had to tell the Minister about the arms in the boot of the car in the Evan Fitzgerald case. The Minister was not aware of it. He said a narrow interpretation of my parliamentary question was taken, but am I meant to basically second-guess all answers now as being narrow interpretations? How is it possible the Minister was not aware of this issue?

I have a deep concern about how policing is administered from the Minister’s Department, as opposed to other sections. I have said to him that any of three things could be happening regarding these questions because I cannot, as an Opposition spokesperson, continue to ask questions and receive narrow interpretations. It is either incompetence or a deliberate act or the people answering the questions genuinely do not know at this stage what is accurate or inaccurate. Any or all of them are deeply worrying for this House. Will the Minister guarantee that the answers he gives to questions from Opposition spokespersons will be accurate and he will not mislead the House in the future?

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am checking something that is of significance to the answer. I take answering questions in this House extremely seriously. Obviously, parliamentary questions come in. I was searching for a figure. Since I have been appointed as Minister, somewhere in the region of 3,500 to 4,000 parliamentary questions have come in and each one of them deserves a full and complete answer. I have instructed officials in my Department that when it comes to answering parliamentary questions, in cases where there can be either a broad or narrow interpretation, they are to adopt the broad interpretation in giving an answer.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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When did the Minister tell them that?

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have been telling them that consistently. Part of the reason the Deputy received a previous answer by way of a letter from me a number of months ago is that I am insistent that information is given, not just to the Deputy but to all TDs, as thoroughly as possible.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I told the Minister it was inaccurate.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to the Deputy’s point that this was hidden, having referred to what was in The Irish Times, I do not think it can be said it was hidden. Anyone applying-----

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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It was not public.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Anyone applying from outside of Ireland in 2017 would have been aware that one of the options or packages applied would be accommodation fees and education fees, if they arose.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The candidates were not aware of it.