Executive at State-owned port company ‘received full pay without working’

AN executive received full pay for up to five years from the troubled State-owned Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) without having to turn up for work.

The company yesterday refused to release the executive’s rate of pay. But one source said the executive could have drawn over €200,000 in wages.

The executive was left without a position after the amalgamation in 2000 of Foynes Port Company and the Shannon Estuary Port Company. There was no post for a senior executive due to duplication of personnel in the new set up.

A deal was struck allowing the executive draw full pay and retain all other work conditions, without having to work, until retirement. It is believed the executive has now retired with a full pension.

The SFPC was formed under the Harbours (amendment) Act 2000. A spokesman for the SFPC said yesterday that sections of this act provided for the transfer of staff from the transferrer company to the transferee company on the same scale of pay and conditions of service.

He added: “To avoid duplicity the company advertised internally the position of administrative manager.”

An executive who had transferred from one of the two former port companies into the new SFPC declined to apply for the position. However the executive’s position was protected under the new Harbours Act.

The SFPC spokesman said that given there was no role for the executive in the new company, SFPC negotiated with the executive and the legal advisors regarding the executive’s position. He said it was agreed that the executive would not have to attend the office and would receive normal pay until retirement age. He said the executive had in recent times reached retirement age and now was entitled to the company pension.

The spokesman would not say how many years the executive was on full pay while not having to work or what the rate of pay was. One source said the executive may have last worked for the company in 2001.