THE EBS chief executive, Mr Pat O'Reilly, received a salary of £175,000 for 1995, according to the building society's annual report for 1995.

For the first time, EBS has disclosed the salary paid to its highest paid director. The society has to directors, including three executive directors.

Salaries paid to the three executive directors of the society, which reported a 10 per cent increase in pre tax profits to £23 million for 1995, increased by 4.2 per cent to £401,000 last year.

In addition to the salaries, pension contributions for the three executive directors increased by 10 per cent last year to £169,000.

Total assets at EBS increased last year by 12 per cent to £1.764 billion.

At £175,000, Mr O'Reilly's salary appears to be the lowest paid to a chief executive of a large Irish financial institution. EBS does not have a bonus payment scheme for executive directors.

While most of the large Irish financial institutions do not disclose separately the salaries and bonus payments to their chief executives/managing directors, most are paid over £200,000 a year.

Total fees paid to EBS directors rose by 30 per cent to £159,000 last year.