Fury as Irish Water bonuses reach €15k
High-earners get twice the pay-out of other staff
IRISH Water has failed to come clean about how its heavily- criticised bonus scheme will work – even after more revelations about bigger top-ups for staff.
It has emerged that 29 staff earning €100,000 or more stand to gain a bonus of €15,000 – and not €7,000 as was previously expected.
The revelations on bonus rates and staff on six-figure salaries came to light after a parliamentary question by Labour TD Kevin Humphreys.
More than a week ago Irish Water chief executive John Tierney sparked uproar when he revealed the firm would be paying bonuses of up to €7,000 to as many as 299 staff. Embarrassingly his admission came hours after Enda Kenny ruled out such payments.
Fianna Fáil yesterday called on Mr Humphreys to outline what action he has taken to ensure his colleagues in Cabinet put a stop the payment of bonuses at Irish Water.
Barry Cowen, the party’s spokesman on Irish Water, accused Mr Humphreys of shedding crocodile tears about spending at the firm
He said: ‘Has Mr Humphreys actually spoken to his colleagues Eamon Gilmore, Joan Burton and Brendan Howlin who opened the door to a lavish bonus system at Irish Water by going against the advice they received and awarding the contract to Bord Gáis?’
He said the Government had created a ‘super quango’, allowed generous bonuses to be paid to staff while blocking debate on laws on water charges and transferring billions of euro of local authority assets to Irish Water.
‘Major questions on transparency’
There had also been an FOI ban, reversed after public pressure, while parliamentary questions as to how taxpayers’ money was being spent had been blocked, Mr Cowen said.
He said: ‘Despite the Taoiseach and Tánaiste’s personal assurances, there are still major questions around the transparency of Irish Water’s operations.’
Sinn Féin urged the Government to intervene to reduce the salaries of the 29 Irish Water staff on salaries of €100,000 and above. Party policy is for a €100,000 limit on all public service salaries.
Sinn Féin environment spokesman Brian Stanley said: ‘ Along with the exorbitant fees paid to consultants, and the use of the Local Property Tax for the establishment of Irish Water, this adds yet another burden on already hard-pressed households.’
Mr Humphreys accused Fianna Fáil of profligacy when it had been in power, saying the party was guilty of hypocrisy.
He said: This is the same Fianna Fáil party that signed a blank cheque for the bankers, and whose current leader oversaw the waste of millions in the Department of Health on outside consultants, whether on reports he never implemented, or systems like PPARS that never worked.’
Alan Shatter is seeking directors to sit on the board of the Charities Regulatory Authority. Members will get €5,985 a year. Travel and subsistence expenses will be payable where applicable.