Minister Urges Airport Boss To Give Up 100k Euro Bonus

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has written to the Dublin Airport Authority to say that he is "very dissatisfied" with a provision made in their accounts to pay chief executive Declan Collier a performance related bonus of over €100,000 for last year.

Mr Collier's total remuneration in 2010, including salary, pensions and bonuses amounted to €612,500.

Although he accepted a 12% cut to his basic salary, Mr Collier actually earned more than €44,000 more than in 2009.

A spokesman for Minister Varadkar said that it was "the Government's clear policy that no performance-related payments should be made in respect of 2010" at all State agencies.

It's understood that Mr Collier has only drawn down a fraction of his bonus, and the remainder is not due to be paid until the end of this contract next year.

But Minister Varadkar is angry that the provision for the payment was being made at all.

The board of the DAA said it believed it was legally obligated to reward Mr Collier because he had met strict performance targets.

"We've made it very clear that this bonus should be not deferred, not reduced, but not paid," said Mr Varadkar.

In its annual accounts, the DAA announced that it had returned to profitability in 2010 despite continued difficult trading conditions, including the impact of volcanic ash and extreme weather on travel conditions and passenger numbers.

The group recorded profits of €33.1 million for 2010 compared to losses of €13.3m in 2009.

The DAA said passenger numbers through Irish airports fell by 13% last year to 22.6 million.

Passenger numbers in Dublin fell by 10%, in Cork by 13% and in Shannon by a whopping 37%, mainly as a result of Ryanair withdrawing a number of routes.