Kenny demands answers over Garda Commissioner accommodation scandal
Kenny demands answers over Garda Commissioner accommodation scandal - The Labour Party
- Sweetheart deal must be explained
Labour’s Eoghan Kenny TD said revelations at today’s Public Accounts Committee that a deal was made between An Garda Siochana and the Office of Public Works to provide accommodation to the Garda Commissioner at Spa Road in the Phoenix Park, following upgrades of almost €400,000 to the property, demand urgent clarification. Deputy Kenny said this raises serious questions about who approved this arrangement, whether any rent was paid and whether the Minister was aware.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The information we heard at PAC today was quite shocking. This appears to be a sweetheart deal. A senior State official, already on a significant salary, was allowed to live in a refurbished OPW property in the Phoenix Park. Who signed off on this arrangement? Was the Minister for Justice aware? Did An Garda Siochana pay rent on behalf of the former Commissioner and if so who authorised that?
“The context here matters. Ordinary families across Ireland spent the last number of years facing rent hikes.Yet during the same period the Garda Commissioner, already earning six figures, appears to have been granted accommodation without any rent hikes at all. If a senior State official was housed at public expense, the public is entitled to know what exactly was paid, by whom and under what conditions.
“The new Commissioner must act now. He must clarify whether the rent was paid, by whom and under what terms. An Garda Siochana must provide a full account of the financial arrangements for the property and whether the Minister for Justice was made aware. The public deserve transparency and accountability.”