DIRECTOR OF Corporate Enforcement Paul Appleby yesterday announced his decision to retire at the end of February but later said he had agreed to stay on for a further six months.
The Attorney General is now involved in analysing Mr Appleby’s simultaneous availing of the Government’s retirement scheme while staying on in office until the end of August. The Government wants to be certain that there are no legal questions created concerning his status during the period.
Mr Appleby’s announcement that he would stay in the post for a further six months, from the end of February, came after Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton raised the issue of Mr Appleby’s departure at Cabinet.
Mr Appleby (57) is an assistant secretary on a salary of €150,712. Under the retirement scheme he is entitled to a lump sum of €226,068, with the first €200,000 of that being tax-free, and an annual pension of €75,356. He is entitled to retire at age 60 in the normal course, on a full pension, given that he began working in the Civil Service almost 39 years ago.
Mr Appleby made his decision to retire in recent weeks and informed Mr Bruton on Friday. The two met on Monday at Mr Appleby’s request and both issued statements yesterday morning announcing Mr Appleby’s decision to retire.
During their meeting, Mr Appleby assured Mr Bruton his resignation would not impede the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement’s ongoing inquiry into certain events at Anglo Irish Bank. “I advised him that there were a number of staff in my office who were well capable of assuming my position in an acting capacity pending the making of a permanent appointment as director in a few months’ time,” Mr Appleby said.
Mr Bruton said Mr Appleby had assured him his departure would not impede a successful conclusion of the Anglo inquiries. “I would like to wish the director well for the future,” he said.
After the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin expressed his surprise on RTÉ at Mr Appleby’s announcement, which he heard about during the meeting, and that earlier notice had not been given. He welcomed Mr Appleby’s decision to remain on for six months and said the financial arrangement details involved were being worked on.
