RTÉ to spend €175,000 on luxury chauffeur-driven cars for 'dignitaries and celebrities'
Darragh Mc Donagh
RTÉ is set to spend €175,000 hiring chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles for the transportation of ‘dignitaries and celebrities’ over the next five years.
The contract for the provision of S-class Mercedes or 7-series BMWs, as well as “reliable and discreet” chauffeurs, is separate to the national broadcaster’s arrangement for taxi services, on which it spends around €45,000 a month.
It published a tender last week, seeking submissions from suitably qualified companies to provide drivers and luxury vehicles on an ad hoc basis for the next three years, with two possible 12-month extensions.
The tender specifies that vehicles must be Mercedes S-class or BMW 7-series saloons, or equivalent standard. Six-seater people carriers “of luxurious standard” must also be available.
They will be used to transport “dignitaries, celebrities, on-air contributors, and others” predominantly in the Dublin area, and must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the document.
Drivers must be “reliable and discreet”, and understand the importance of confidentiality and punctuality, it states. A courteous, professional and friendly manner is also essential – “even in a stressful situation”.
They must have the ability to act on their own initiative, while the ability to foresee and notify RTÉ of problems is also “very important”, the tender states. Fluent English is an essential requirement.
RTÉ expects to select up to three suppliers for the provision of these services. The closing date for tenders is May 15th, and it expects to award the contract the following month.
During the first half of last year, it was reported that the national broadcaster had spent more than €800,000 on taxis, mileage costs, and car-hire services for staff and guests.
For the first six months of 2025, mileage accounted for just over €384,000 paid to its employees, while just under €268,000 was spent on taxi fares for staff and guests in Ireland and overseas – equating to around €45,000 per month.
RTÉ required a €56 million bailout from taxpayers in 2024, without which it would have become insolvent, according to Director General Kevin Bakhurst. It agreed to cut 400 jobs and implement a range of cost-cutting measures as part of the bailout.
The Government subsequently allocated €725 million in funding for the broadcaster over three years to secure its viability. It agreed to introduce a recruitment freeze, postponed capital projects, and undertook to maintain tight controls on discretionary spending.
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