Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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678. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to the response of his predecessor to previous parliamentary questions which stated that the salary of the chief executive officer of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (details supplied) was very high for a relatively small company, if he, as the major shareholder in the company, agrees with that statement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25923/15]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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697. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to the reply to this Deputy's previous parliamentary question and that the previous chairperson of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (details supplied) authorised a payment of €19,877 in lieu of unused annual leave allegedly not taken by the chief executive officer (details supplied) if this issue was discussed by the board of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company prior to payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26248/15]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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698. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to the reply to Question No. 902 of 16 June 2015 that the current co-chairpersons of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (details supplied) were appointed as directors in 1997 and 2004 respectively, and were also on the audit committee at that time, and in addition to the current controversies over his concerns regarding corporate governance issues and the setting up of the Irish International Diaspora Centre Company without consulting his Department or receiving ministerial consent, if their positions as directors of the company have now become untenable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26249/15]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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699. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that a payment of €19,877, in lieu of unused annual leave allegedly not taken, was paid to the chief executive officer of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (details supplied), the way this figure was arrived at; the number of unused annual days the chief executive officer claimed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26250/15]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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700. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to this Deputy's previous parliamentary questions regarding an explanation of the term "other" as it appears in Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company's profit and loss accounts since 2001, and regarding the previous chief executive officer's (details supplied) remuneration, benefit-in-kind, and performance-related bonuses, if he will allay public concerns and for the sake of transparency disclose details of payments to the previous chief executive officer made under the category "other"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26252/15]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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701. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that the Minister of Finance directed the chief executive officers of commercial State bodies to reduce their pay by 10%, when ordinary workers' remuneration was reduced, the reason the remuneration of the chief executive officer of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (details supplied) was not reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26253/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 678 and 697 to 701, inclusive, together.

The CEO's salary is in line with Government policy at that time.  I agree it is high for a company whose revenues have reduced substantially since the contract was signed. 

My predecessor was informed at the time by the then Chair that the payment of €19,877 in lieu of unused annual leave paid to the CEO in 2011 was in respect of untaken leave of 38 days in 2009 and 2010.  My predecessor made his view known that the payment should not have been made. I agree with this and the Harbour Company have acknowledged this also and confirmed that it will not happen again.  On the matter of Board discussions, I have referred the question to the Harbour Company for their direct response as I have previously done with the Deputy's earlier questions on this matter.   

Under the then 2006 Guidelines on Contracts, Remuneration and Other Conditions of CEOs of Commercial State Bodies the published annual report and accounts of the body must disclose the CEO's annual basic salary, the actual payments made to the CEO under the performance related pay schemes and the all in cost of the CEO's total remuneration package (including superannuation provision, company car and any other benefits). I understand that the matter of the word "other" in the Notes to the Company's Financial Statements  relates to the payment of a car allowance to the CEO. This differs from the previous CEO who chose to avail of an expensed company car which attracted a benefit in kind charge.  The current CEO avails of a car allowance which is paid through the computerised payroll system and therefore PAYE and PRSI is deducted and is not subject to BIK.

Regarding the Irish International Diaspora Centre trust and corporate governance issues, my predecessor wrote to the Company to highlight his concerns at the approach adopted and raised the issue of Ministerial consent in respect of the Diaspora project.  The Company has informed me that the Centre is being wound up.

I do not know the basis for the Deputy's reference to a 10% reduction. There was no direction from the Minister for Finance or from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to cut the salaries of existing CEOs by 10%.  There was a review in 2011 of CEO salaries in Commercial State Bodies but it did not alter the contractual arrangements of incumbent CEOs.

Again I will forward the Deputy's questions to the Harbour Company for direct reply on the aspects which are not covered in this reply.  If you do not receive a response within ten working days please contact my private office.