The former Fine Gael leader is still being ferried around in an official Garda car with an armed protection officer as his driver
Leo Varadkar is still being given armed Garda protection – even though he quit as Taoiseach more than seven months ago, it has emerged.
All former Taoisigh used to keep their armed driver and Garda car after they left the post – but the practice was discontinued in 2011 at the height of the financial crisis gripping the country at the time. “The assessment was that there was still a requirement for the MPU to look after him,” a source said last night.
The plot was uncovered when Mr Varadkar was acting as Tánaiste in early 2022, as part of a rotating Taoiseach deal with Fianna Fail.All ministers have a Protection Officer, but serving Taoisigh also have an armed Special Detective Unit escort car. News of the decision to keep armed protection on Mr Varadkar also comes a week after we revealed that gardai are increasing security for Taoiseach Simon Harris and two other cabinet ministers.
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