€472 airport car jaunt can be got for less than €200
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THE controversial car ride that John O'Donoghue took between two airport terminals can be booked for less than €200.
Instead of taking a free three-minute bus ride between Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 in London's Heathrow Airport, the then Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism ran up a bill of €472 in January 2006 for a limo ride.
A car with Cartel Direct, the company with which Mr O'Donoghue travelled, could have been booked today for as little as stg£115 plus VAT of stg£17.25.
This brings the total for the short trip in a Mercedes E Class to stg£132.25 (€150). Parking costs are extra while additional waiting time is charged at €40 to €51. Even if the driver had to wait one hour and pay for parking in that time, the bill would have come to less than €200.
The car would have to wait seven hours (without parking costs) to run up the bill John O'Donoghue lodged in 2006. Alternatively the journey can be done on the airport's free shuttle service.
A Mercedes limo with the same company would cost €249 (plus 15pc VAT) and would be able to carry up to seven passengers. Any additional waiting time would incur a cost of €62 per hour plus VAT.
The London-based firm is run by Terry Gallagher, the son of Denis Gallagher, a former Mayo TD who served two terms as Fianna Fail minister for the gaeltacht. Terry Gallagher's uncle, Paddy Gallagher, was a prominent campaign worker for Mr O'Donoghue in Kerry South.
The company has been working on behalf of the Irish embassy for more than a decade.
- Edel Kennedy
