Taoiseach calls on all semi-state bosses to give up bonuses

THE Dublin Airport Authority and Bord Gáis paid out about €4 million in bonuses last year, it has emerged.

According to RTÉ, about 270 people were paid an average of €7,240 at Bord Gáis, while a total of €2.1 million was paid to 400 people at the DAA.

It emerged as Taoiseach Enda Kenny demanded that semi-state company bosses voluntarily give up lucrative work-related bonuses that are drawn down from the public purse.

Pressure mounted on semi-state bodies yesterday to clamp down on a culture of top-up payments after DAA chief executive Declan Collier was forced to forgo a €106,000 bonus.

Meanwhile, Government departments have been ordered to identify tougher, “bold” and “unpalatable” saving measures.

These include proposals to cut back grants for public bodies, abolish or merge agencies, offload state property and reduce subsidies for social housing.

A letter from Department of Public Expenditure and Reform secretary general Robert Watt to all department secretaries general last month set out the demands.

Mr Watt told his colleagues the Government wanted a full list of options and ideas should include “bold, creative, ambitious and even unpalatable savings and reform measures”.

Civil service chiefs have also been asked to consider public services that can be outsourced or transferred to the private sector.

Mr Watt said no agency should be considered “untouchable”.

Department heads are expected to submit their initial reform plans over the next week.

Demands for further cuts will worry trade unions who signed up to the Croke Park agreement. The Government said the expenditure reviews fall outside of the scope of the agreement.

The move comes as the Taoiseach yesterday fired a shot across the bows of semi-state companies over bonus payments.

Speaking in Roscommon, Mr Kenny said: “I think it’s high time that everybody who’s exceptionally well paid should voluntarily give up bonuses in respect of jobs in which they’re already being well paid.

“I would like to see the chief executives of semi-state companies understand this message clearly — our people are in a challenging position. Everybody, from the highest-paid needs to make their contribution and play their part in this.

“We have a job to do and that’s to get this country back to a position where we’re in charge of our own economic destiny again,” Mr Kenny said.

Earlier, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said the issue of bonuses for semi-state bosses was going to be reviewed.