Bonuses rise 6% at utilities regulator

Over the past 13 years, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities has paid out €2.9m in bonuses

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities regulates the likes of Irish Water and Bord Gáis Energy. 

Bonus payments to staff at the agency that regulates Irish Water last year increased to €227,793.

That is according to the 2020 annual report for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which details the bonus payments to staff.

The bonus payments paid out in 2020 represent a 5.6% increase on the €215,706 paid out in bonuses in 2019.

Over the past 13 years, the CRU has paid out €2.9m in such bonuses to staff.

The increase in bonus payments coincided last year with the CRU recording a surplus of €1.44m that followed a deficit of €492,000 in 2019 — a positive swing of €1.8m.

The CRU recorded the surplus as its main source of income — levy fees from the electricity, gas, water, LPG and petroleum sectors — last year increased by an overall 23% from €14.9m to €18.4m.

The main driver in the increase in levy fees was the electricity sector which contributed more than half that total at €9.9m, with water contributing €2.69m, gas -€4.38m, petroleum — €1.39m and LPG at €27,000.

A note attached to the accounts concerning the bonus payments states that the performance-related remuneration scheme has been approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

The note states that the chairperson, members of the commission, and the directors do not receive any performance related payments.

The CRU — which is due to publish a consultation paper on data centres by the end of this month— is responsible for setting prices for semi-state companies such as Bord Gáis and Irish Water.

Numbers employed by the utility regulator increased from 102 to 109 and staff costs totalled €8.43m.

Numbers earning over €100,000 at the CRU in 2020 totalled 12 with chairperson, Aoife MacEvilly the top earner at €183,000.

Commissioner, Paul McGowan received €169,000 while commissioner, Jim Gannon received €165,000.

Key management personnel, including the commissioners, shared pay of €1.28m.

The CRU last year paid out €3.94m in professional fees concerning its work across all sectors.