Howlin to look at public appointments

THE MINISTER for Public Expenditure and Reform said he would examine the situation whereby people appointed by government to public positions were drawing multiple salaries.

Brendan Howlin was responding to Seán Fleming (FF) who referred to additional salaries paid to Dublin Airport Authority chief executive Declan Collier through his involvement with AIB.

Amid controversy last month, Mr Collier said he would not accept a bonus of €106,000 for 2010.

This followed a confrontation with Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, who threatened not to reappoint the airport authority board for defying guidelines on pay for senior public servants.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan also intervened.

Mr Howlin was asked yesterday by Mr Fleming if he was satisfied that somebody in Mr Collier’s situation could also be a director of AIB and a member of its remuneration body.

“So he is drawing one public salary from the DAA, another payment by virtue of being on the board of AIB and a third payment from the remuneration sub-committee.

“Do you support the idea of people not only being paid an exorbitant salary to start with, but being paid on the double and treble?”

Mr Howlin said Mr Collier had been appointed to the various positions by a Fianna Fáil-led government “but I do actually think you have a point. I think we will have to look at the aggregation of salaries”. Mr Howlin said the aggregation of pensions would also be looked at.

Last month, the Taoiseach told the Dáil it was not “good practice” that Mr Collier was also on AIB’s remuneration committee.

Enda Kenny was replying to Shane Ross (Ind) who said it was “absurd” that Mr Collier should be deciding on banking remuneration when there had been controversy over his own remuneration.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore later said the positions were separate roles and he had confidence in Mr Collier.

Mr Howlin told the Dáil yesterday that pay ceilings had been introduced by the Government in the light of its decision to reduce the salaries of the Taoiseach and Ministers.