THE CHIEF executive of Horse Racing Ireland has received performance-related bonus payments worth €84,450 in respect of 2008 and 2009, it has emerged.
Details of the payments to Brian Kavanagh were given in written replies from Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith to Fine Gael TDs this week. Earlier this year, the level of Mr Kavanagh’s earnings was criticised by the Irish Bookmakers Association at a Dáil public accounts committee meeting.
There it was claimed Mr Kavanagh’s salary had increased by 22 per cent between 2007 and 2008. He had earned €313,000 in 2008, according to the HRI annual report.
Mr Kavanagh rejected the allegations as a smokescreen designed by the bookmakers to deflect attention from the real issue, namely the declining tax contribution from betting to the Exchequer despite rapid and sustained growth in the sector.
Last night it was revealed in a Dáil question that Mr Kavanagh was awarded two pay increases of 2.5 per cent in 2008.
“The CEO subsequently took a voluntary pay reduction of just over 8 per cent in 2010 to give a current salary of € 175,200,” said the reply from Mr Smith.
“The CEO was awarded a bonus of €65,000 in respect of his performance in 2008 and a bonus of €57,000 in respect of his performance in 2009,” the reply continued. “To date, €43,911 of the 2008 award and €40,539 of the 2009 award has been paid.”
The Minister had previously been asked in the Dáil if he knew anything about bonus payments to senior management of any State body under the auspices of his department in the previous 12 months.
Mr Smith told Fergus O’Dowd (FG) that while the operation of each performance-related award scheme was the responsibility of the board or agency concerned, the department monitored them.
“A bonus payment of €40,539 was made to the CEO of one of the bodies under the aegis of my department in the past 12 months, in respect of his performance in 2009,” the Minister said.
“The matter was not referred to me as the agency concerned was not under the auspices of my department at that time.”