Payout by B&A research firm

Market research firm Behaviour & Attitudes rewarded key staff with bonuses and awarded dividends to shareholders this year after the company enjoyed one of its most successful years.

Behaviour & Attitudes managing director Luke Reaper said the company enjoyed a “substantial profit” in the 12 months to the end of March.

As a result of the year’s success, Mr Reaper said that “the board decided to issue bonuses to key staff, along with dividends to shareholders to reward the efforts over the last few years”.

New accounts filed by the firm show that directors’ pay in the year to the end of March leapt by 31% from €1.34m to €1.76m.

The directors are listed as Mr Reaper, Ian McShane, Elaine Sloan, Larry Ryan, Neil Douglas, David Fanning and Martha Fanning.

The firm was set up 32 years ago.

The accounts show that the company recorded a loss of €146,575 for the year but Mr Reaper said that this figure was reached after the dividend pay-out.

Mr Reaper declined to say what the profit was for the year but he said that the profit was “substantial”.

Mr Reaper said: “The turnover and profits were extremely healthy, in fact, it was one of the most successful years in the company’s history since 1985.”

He said: “The board is very optimistic for the year ahead and we are hiring talent at all levels. We have a number of contracts coming on stream for this financial year, coupled with a positive marketplace, bodes well for the year ahead.”

Mr Reaper said the company was “gearing for growth” and was making key hires, including the appointment of a new research director “as our qualitative and consultancy arm of the business grows”.

The company’s cash pile increased from €535,596 to €982,466 and accumulated profits at the end of March year stood at €1.15m.

The company last year ran the RTÉ exit poll on the night of the general election.

Mr Reaper said: “We conducted the exit poll for RTÉ and a range of other socio- political polls and surveys.”

The firm also grew during the year in terms of staff numbers. It now employs 181 people.

The main jobs growth came in staff involved in conducting interviews with the public for surveys.

On the company’s growth path, Mr Reaper said it is has a client roster of high-profile companies.