The Irish Independent's View: Workplace envy infiltrates Drew Harris house debate, but it should have been disclosed sooner

"Thus, those of us at work, hear whisperings of undeserved successes, based on dumb luck, cavalier shortcuts, or less generally shared advantages. Yet, envy is not always purely negative because it is about the will to achieve and succeed. Hold those sentiments as we look back at news that former garda commissioner, Drew Harris, got his Phoenix Park home, a spit from his workplace, free of charge during his term of office."

"AGS paid €21,000 a year, or about €1,750 a month, to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the property between his first appointment in 2018 and earlier this year, when Mr Harris left office. We have heard, via the Oireachtas committee some days ago, the rent was market rate when the former commissioner first moved in, but was not increased after that. OPW chairman John Conlon told TDs and senators that a review should have taken place."

"Mr Harris's home was known as Spa Lodge and was a former water house which was converted to a residence for park constables by the renowned British architect, Decimus Burton, in the mid-1800s. Before it was eventually handed over to An Garda Síochána it was extensively refurbished, but the OPW boss insists this was not done to facilitate Mr Harris. The gardaí did still more security work after taking over the property in advance of Mr Harris taking up residence."

Drew Harris lived in a Phoenix Park residence adjacent to his workplace while serving as garda commissioner, with the property paid for by An Garda Síochána under his Department of Justice contract. An Garda Síochána paid €21,000 annually to the Office of Public Works for the house from 2018 until his departure, with the rent set at market rate initially but not subsequently increased. OPW chair John Conlon acknowledged that a review should have occurred. The property, Spa Lodge, is a historic mid-1800s building refurbished before handover, and additional security work was carried out ahead of Harris taking residence due to his previous PSNI role.

Read at Irish Independent