Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for giving me the opportunity to ask questions. I will focus on the final slide in the presentation which has the title, Towards 2030. I propose to address specifically the area of transformation and the work of the organisation in the period until 2030.

When Mr. Horgan appeared before the joint committee in September 2012, he stated he was proud to be the chairman of the board of a company that had a management team of exceptional individuals who had the capacity to lead the company to continued success in the years ahead. Why, in an organisation with a senior management team of exceptional individuals who have a capacity to lead the company, is it necessary to pay such high consultancy costs? I understand €14 million was wasted on consultancy fees last year. Precisely how much has been spent on consultants since Mr. Horgan's appointment as chairman three years ago?

Bord na Móna staff are facing lay-offs and being bullied into accepting new contracts. They are being told that if they do not surrender their current contracts and sign new contracts, they will be left with nothing. The new contracts provide for salary reductions of up to 30%. Are senior managers in the company also facing reductions in salary of 30%?

At our meeting in September 2012, Mr. Horgan also stated that one of the key roles of a chairman is to organise discussion and ensure board members are informed. Why has he prevented the managing director from meeting the four directors elected by employees, especially given the challenges facing the company and the key role these directors have in facilitating solutions to these challenges? Why has Mr. Horgan imposed such restrictions on the elected directors engaging with employees, thereby preventing the necessary feedback to the board?

At the meeting on 20 September 2012 at which Mr. Horgan described his key role as being one of organising discussion and ensuring board members were informed, he was also asked about staff morale in Bord na Móna. Like Deputy Lowry, I have been contacted by a number of Bord na Móna employees living in Lanesboro, Rochfortbridge and further afield. If what they tell me is correct, it is nothing short of disgraceful that such events are occurring in a semi-State company. When asked about staff morale in 2012, Mr. Horgan stated he was aware of issues but did not necessarily agree with them. I am informed that up to 300 cases of alleged bullying are in process. If that is not a serious indication of morale in Bord na Móna, I do not know what is.

I was asked a question about a specific investigation involving an employee that involves serious deficiencies, including lack of due procedure and courtesy. As previous speakers noted, these types of cases were not the norm in Bord na Móna. People whose families worked in the company for generations speak of family members who always had great pride in the company. However, speaking to workers nowadays, it is clear that pride is the furthest thing from their minds when they think of the company.