THE OIREACHTAS has awarded a €300,000 contract to a taxi firm to transport Civil Service staff back to their homes if they work late in Leinster House.
The Dáil usually sits late on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and members of staff are entitled to take taxis if they work past 10pm. A total of 435 civil servants are currently employed in Leinster House, according to an Oireachtas spokesman.
“The approximate value of this contract will be €300,000 based on previous draw-downs, but it will depend on the number of late night sittings and draw-downs over the course of the tender period,” the spokesman said.
The Oireachtas policy on taxi usage states staff members who leave work before 10pm must avail of private or public transport.
The spokesman said the Oireachtas had a “duty of care” to employees working after that time, and an arrangement for taxi services had been in place for a number of years to cater for staff working during late sittings of the Dáil and Seanad.
Taxis were provided to those reliant on public transport to ensure “safe homeward travel and general well-being to ensure staff avail of an appropriate rest period before resuming work the following day”, the spokesman added. He said this was standard practice across the Civil Service.
He said staff members living close to each other were encouraged to share taxis to minimise the cost.
An advertisement was placed on the eTenders public procurement website in February seeking taxi hire services in the Dublin and surrounding areas for parliamentary staff. The contract was awarded to Global Taxis after a tender process was completed.
Oireachtas sitting times may change under proposals being worked on by the Dáil Reform Committee and the Committee on Procedures and Privileges.
It is proposed that the Dáil will assemble on Tuesday mornings instead of at 2.30pm as at present among other changes, although final details have yet to be worked out.
The Oireachtas spokesman said staff members who worked late made preparations for the subsequent day’s business as well as facilitating late sittings.
