Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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713. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of civilian and Garda ministerial drivers in her current corps of drivers; the breakdown of the civilian versus Garda drivers; and the total costs, including salaries, maintenance, fuel and so on incurred by the driver corps in 2020 and 2021. [3972/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The appointment of civilian drivers in my Department is made in line with the “Instructions to HR Managers on Ministerial Appointments for the 33^rdDáil” and the “Guidelines on the Staffing of Ministerial Offices for the 33^rdDáil’’.

Ministers and Ministers of State may appoint 2 civilian drivers. I currently have 1 civilian driver in my Department, in my role as Minister for Rural and Community Development. In addition, Joe O'Brien, Minister of State with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities at my Department, currently has 1 civilian driver. Neither Minister in my Department has a Garda driver.

Salary and Employer's PRSI costs for civilian drivers in my Department was € 27,174 in 2020 and €91,110 in 2021.