Fifteen Galway charities will share €7,000 after outgoing Green Party leader Trevor Sargent bought an "eco-friendly" car used by the former lord mayor of Galway on eBay.
Mr Sargent paid €29,900 for the car, €22,900 of which was owed to a leasing company. Though he will get mileage from the State, Mr Sargent's State-paid drivers are likely to be used less than some counterparts.
Mr Sargent, who is Minister of State for Food and Horticulture, currently travels by train from his Balbriggan home to Dáil Éireann and his departmental office, and uses a bicycle while in town, and he will continue the practice whenever possible.
The Toyota Prius he has purchased, which uses both a petrol and electric engine, was used over the last 12 months by Cllr Ó Brolcháin during his term as Galway's first citizen instead of a normal mayoral Jaguar.
"I'm not able to do the cost-benefit environmental analysis," he said. "All I know is that this car operates by electricity up to a certain speed and in city and town conditions; that reduces emissions, not just in terms of climate change, but also in terms of people's health," said Mr Sargent.
Cllr Ó Brolcháin said he was delighted to see the "very symbolic" car would be used in another official capacity. "I welcome that Minister Sargent has chosen to lead the way and I would call on other Ministers in other departments to follow his decision," he said.
