Just over €150,000 has been spent in providing secretarial support to two former taoisigh over the past year.
The Department of the Taoiseach has been paying around €12,700 each month for secretarial assistance to Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny.
All of the money was paid to a company called Tech Skills Resources Ltd, according to figures released under freedom of information by the department.
Bills for Bertie Ahern amounted to just under €70,000, while a further €83,000 was spent on secretarial support for Enda Kenny.
Supports for retired taoisigh had been ended in 2012 by Mr Kenny – when he was head of the government – in the aftermath of the Celtic Tiger crash.
However, they were restored by Leo Varadkar when he took office in 2017, with civil servants suggesting the annual cost could run to €300,000 per year.
Bills have not run that high, with no costs incurred in the provision of VIP services at Dublin Airport between September 2021 and August this year.
Only a single official request for a state car was made by ex-taoiseach John Bruton after he was asked to speak in June at an Irish Farmers Journal event on the future of Europe.
“Numerous speakers from at home and abroad are also addressing the event,” said Mr Bruton.
“I am requesting the facility of a state car to attend this event under the provision extended to former taoisigh.”
Emails from the department said they were “happy to accede to the request on this occasion”.
Under current arrangements, former taoisigh can benefit from government support in six separate ways.
They can be provided with briefing material on government policy, and secretarial assistance from a person who is however prohibited from engaging in constituency or party-political tasks.
State cars are available up to five times each year for “important state functions” while VIP airport facilities at Dublin are also provided.
Asked to comment on the costs of providing services for former officeholders, the department did not respond.
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