Former HSE chief Paul Reid claimed hundreds of euros in fuel and travel expenses during lockdown as well as using Army drivers in a sponsored BMW.
Mr Reid also had the use of a “company vehicle” – another BMW – while submitting motor and travel expenses.
The senior public servant also had used of his company car during the first full Covid lockdown from March 27 until the last week of June 2020.
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At this time, all non-essential journeys were banned for ordinary members of the public who were not allowed to travel beyond 2km from their home.
Anyone breaking this regulation, which increased to 5km from May 5, would be fined, unless the journey was for essential business reasons, as in Mr Reid’s case.
The Irish Mirror has received documents purporting to show Mr Reid’s alleged expenses during lockdown.
They reveal Mr Reid, who was on a salary of more than €420,000, submitted invoices for expenses on his fuelcard for €131 at the end of March, €60.47 at the end of April, €67.98 at the end of June and €175.61 at the end of July.
The total expenses allegedly claimed on the fuelcard for the year was €1,807.At the same time, he is alleged to have claimed “staff travel” expenses of €280 for March, €40 for April, €390 for May and €47 for June.
A note to the “expenses file” believed to be from the HSE stated Mr Reid claimed €1,752 for staff travel in 2020 but a HSE note added: “€320 of this was reimbursed by the CEO for any personal toll usage.”
The Irish Mirror contacted Mr Reid for comment but were passed on to the HSE. A spokesman said: “For some of the period you refer to, Mr Reid regularly used the sponsored car and Defence Forces driver, while sometimes driving himself.
“Throughout the six-month period he regularly drove to necessary meetings and briefings, to which the travel curfews to which you refer did not apply.”
The Irish Mirror exclusively revealed Mr Reid was regularly chauffeured up and down to work in Dublin from his home in Leitrim in a sponsored BMW by soldiers during the pandemic.
The Defence Forces and the HSE both confirmed to the Irish Mirror that the special service was laid on for the health service’s chief executive. And BMW Ireland confirmed to us nine high-end BMW X1s were provided to the HSE for use in the pandemic.
The Army did not charge the State, but if it did, the cost for the extra service to the HSE could have been upwards of €25,000 to lay on a driver every day.
A chauffeur service with an executive car could cost in the region of €500 to €700 a day.
If it was laid on five days a week for the 10 weeks of lockdown, the bill could have hit somewhere between €25,000 and €35,000.
A spokesman said the Army chauffeurs were provided so Mr Reid wouldn’t get tired from all the driving and so he could do video calls on his commute.
The service was available until the coronavirus travel restrictions were finally lifted at the end of June.
The Irish Mirror understands two Defence Forces personnel were rostered on a 72-hour week to provide the driver cover.
The HSE spokesman added: “The Defence Forces provided one driver per journey to Mr Reid on occasions for travel between Leitrim and Dublin for necessary meetings and briefings until the removal of travel restrictions.
“The CEO resided in Leitrim for the duration of lockdown as this was where he was located when restrictions were imposed.
“This assistance enabled him to conduct video conferences while mobile and for safety reasons due to long working hours during the on-going national public health emergency.
“The vehicle used was not a HSE vehicle. The vehicle was one of a number of vehicles generously on loan from private organisations to assist in the pandemic response.”
In January, the Irish Mirror also revealed details of Mr Reid’s €20,000 car allowance for a BMW 7 series executive car, while also having an Army driver.
Accounts for 2020 reveal he also claimed his full entitlement to a company car, with a car allowance worth €19,141 paid for the year.
That sum is close to the €22,000 salary of a junior nurse.
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