State agricultural agency Teagasc has 24 staff earning more than €100,000

There are 24 high fliers at State agricultural agency, Teagasc earning over €100,000.

The annual accounts for 2014 provides details of the top earners at the agency for the first time following a 2014 Department of Public Expenditure circular that requires State funded agencies to outline employee benefit details greater than €60,000.

Teagasc provides integrated research, advisory and training services to the agricultural sector and employs over 1,100 staff across the country.

The agency has four staff earning in excess of €140,000 with its director, Prof Gerry Boyle earning €153,000 down from €159,000 in 2013.

Prof Boyle is the only employee earning between €150,000 and €160,000 with three earning between €140,000 and €150,000. Prof Boyle was re-appointed to a second term in July of last year. His remuneration is made up of €141,000 salary and €12,000 in benefit in kind relating to a car.

The accounts show that a further 17 staff receive pay between €100,000 and €110,000 with three more in receipt of pay between €110,000 and €120,000.

In June of this year, Teagasc paid €399,593 in settlement of a Vat liability to Revenue in final settlement of the case. Comptroller and Auditor General, Seamus McCarthy said the Vat settlement relates to the non-payment of Vat on goods and services procured by Teagasc over the previous four years.

The pay-out includes penalties of €9,327 and interest of €79,358.

Teagasc chairman, Dr Noel Cawley, said: “Teagasc has strengthened controls and delivered additional training to prevent a recurrence of this issue.”

The agency’s income totalled €189.7m that was made up largely of State funding of €127m representing 67% of income and operational income of €27.7m. Its spend last year totalled €190m.