THE FORMER chief executive of Irish Nationwide Michael Fingleton was paid a total of €2.4 million by the building society in 2008, according to a Department of Finance document released to Fine Gael.
As well as a salary of €893,000 Mr Fingleton got a “bonus” of €1 million as well as other payments of €450,000.
“The €450,000 paid as other income to Mr Fingleton is likely to raise further questions and we have written to the public interest directors seeking to have the matter addressed in their investigation,” department official Seán Kinsella wrote to another official in an e-mail last year released to Fine Gael under the Freedom of Information Act.
Spokesman Leo Varadkar said the €450,000 was unpaid holiday money claimed by Mr Fingleton and called on him to pay it back.
“It beggars belief that anyone should be entitled to €450,000 worth of holiday pay. But it’s even more astounding when that person turns out to be the former chief of Irish Nationwide, which is being bailed out with €5.4 billion of taxpayers’ money,” Mr Varadkar said.
A spokesman for the society would not comment on the matter. Mr Fingleton could not be contacted.