The Daily Star Ireland
Over the past year, the Garda fleet responsible for chauffeuring senior Irish officeholders has been expanded and modernised at a cost exceeding €913,000. This investment covered the purchase of 11 new high-end vehicles, all manufactured by Audi, to serve the transport needs of the Taoiseach, the President, government ministers, and other dignitaries.
The new additions included a mix of models, with the majority being plug-in hybrids. However, four of the vehicles purchased were diesel-powered Audi A6 50 TDI Quattro models, which continue to raise questions regarding carbon emissions. The average cost per vehicle in the recent procurement came to approximately €83,000.
These acquisitions form part of a broader transition toward greener transportation. The inclusion of the new plug-in hybrids brings the total number of eco-friendly vehicles in the ministerial transport fleet to 22. Nevertheless, 19 diesel vehicles remain in use, consisting primarily of BMWs and Audis, along with one specially modified Ford Transit van.
Mileage Disparities and Privacy Over Cost Breakdown
Vehicle usage data reveals a sharp contrast in mileage across the fleet. Several of the older diesel cars have clocked extremely high distances. Four vehicles have surpassed the 300,000-kilometre mark, with the highest being a BMW 740 acquired in 2017 that has travelled over 358,000 kilometres — the equivalent of nine laps around the globe.
On the lower end of the spectrum, the least used vehicle is a Hyundai Ioniq, an all-electric model purchased in 2023, which has registered just 22,705 kilometres to date. Some of the newer diesel Audis added in the last year have already outpaced that figure, with one recording nearly 57,000 kilometres.
The most recent expansion of the fleet also coincided with the retirement of two older vehicles, though details on those models were not released. The overall growth in the fleet follows a 2022 policy decision to reinstate Garda drivers for all ministers. That move was based on elevated security assessments and has since led to an increase in both personnel and logistical requirements tied to ministerial transport.
The Gardaí declined to release a detailed breakdown of costs associated with individual vehicles. Officials cited commercial confidentiality, arguing that disclosing itemised prices could undermine the competitiveness of their suppliers. A formal response to the information request highlighted the importance of safeguarding sensitive procurement data, particularly when dealing with private contractors. Authorities also withheld any details regarding the assignment of specific vehicles to individual officeholders, again citing privacy and operational discretion.
