Gardai have opened a full investigation into a former ministerial adviser’s travel expenses. A government-led inquiry found that expenses were lodged to a constituency office that did not exist and a file was referred to gardai.

In a response to The Sunday Times, a garda spokesman confirmed that the matter has now been upgraded to an investigation: “An Garda Siochana has received a report as suggested in your query. The complaint made to gardai at Pearse Street is currently under investigation. No additional updates are available at this time.”

Government sources have said that the adviser has received a severance package. It is understood the original expenses claimed was a five-figure sum lodged over a number of years.

The adviser at all times denied any wrongdoing or that there was any issue with their expenses. A source said the matter had been referred from a department official to gardai several months ago for assessment.

The assessment was to evaluate whether the issue could be referred to Standards on Public Office Commission or whether there were grounds for a formal investigation by the gardai.The expenses were flagged within a government department late last year and advice was sought from the attorney-general before the matter was referred to gardai. • Gardai need to offer more than fire and furyA spokesman for the government department who led the investigation said: “The department does not comment on any personnel matters.” The former minister who employed the adviser is said to have co-operated fully with the department’s queries. A government source said the department was no longer involved since the matter was referred to gardai and now an official investigation had been launched it would not want to interfere in any process or cause any undue influence. The office of the attorney-general investigated the matter on behalf of the government after which it was decided to refer the matter to An Garda Siochana.The internal government investigation was launched after officials raised concerns about the unusually high level of expenses being claimed by the adviser.This in turn resulted in an examination of expenses filed by all government-appointed advisers and it was during this investigation it emerged that the adviser in question was making mileage claims from an office that appeared not to exist.