Restriction on salary 'hinders' DAA in bid to find talented CEO
The government-imposed salary cap on semi-state bosses will hamper the Dublin Airport Authority's (DAA) efforts to attract a new high-calibre chief executive, the incoming chairman, Padraig O'Riordain, has warned.
Mr O'Riordain, a partner with law firm Arthur Cox, told a joint Oireachtas committee yesterday that in his personal view, the €250,000 cap wouldn't enable the DAA to effectively compete for global aviation talent. He said that having too low a pay cap would "inhibit" the DAA's ability to attract the right kind of talent for the CEO position.
"A chief executive is not just for Christmas," he told the transport committee.
The current DAA boss, Declan Collier, is leaving the post in coming weeks as he takes up a role as chief executive of London City Airport. Mr O'Riordain denied that his views on the salary cap would place him in conflict with the Government.
"There won't be any clash with the Government on the pay cap," he said.
"I want to make my position very clear in relation to this. Dublin Airport Authority, with me as chairman, will comply with whatever the cap is, so there won't be a clash."
There was a political furore last year when it emerged that Mr Collier had been awarded a €106,000 bonus in respect of the 2010 financial year, bringing his total package to €612,000. The bonus was deferred, but a furious political reaction eventually forced Mr Collier to waive it.
"We're competing with literally hundreds of airports across Europe . . . but also other businesses who actually want to get high-calibre executives," Mr O'Riordain told the joint Oireachtas transport committee.
He claimed that the €250,000 cap for the CEO position at DAA is about half what the chiefs of airports such as those at Manchester and Birmingham are being paid.
Manchester airport handles a similar number of passengers to Dublin, while Birmingham handles about half as many.
London City Airport handled 2.8m passengers in 2010, when its chief executive was paid £406,000 (€490,000).
Source:Irish Independent
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