Mary O'Rourke has taken up her statutory entitlement as leader of the Seanad to have two paid civilian drivers, a privilege she initially declined.
Ms O'Rourke turned down the offer when she became leader in autumn 2002. While Cabinet ministers are given the use of State cars driven by gardaí, ministers of State and some other officeholders including the Seanad leader get a car allowance and the right to hire civilian drivers.
Ms O'Rourke has an apartment in Dublin from which she usually walks to Leinster House. However, according to a written Dáil reply from the Minister for Finance to Fine Gael TD Paul McGrath this week, Ms O'Rourke indicated last summer her wish to activate the offer.
Mr McGrath is a Westmeath constituency deputy and will contest the new Longford-Westmeath constituency at the next election.
Ms O'Rourke, who lost her seat to party colleague Donie Cassidy in 2002, has said she intends to seek a nomination to stand there as well.
One driver was recruited in February this year and the other in April at a total annual cost of €80,000. They are paid by the Department of the Taoiseach.
The leader of the Seanad's entitlement to drivers is set out in the Ministerial, Parliamentary and Judicial Offices and Oireachtas Members (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2001.
Ms O'Rourke could not be contacted for comment last night.
