MINISTER FOR Transport Leo Varadkar is preparing to appoint two non-executive directors to the board of the Dublin Airport Authority.
It is understood that Mr Varadkar will shortly reappoint businessman Gerry Walsh to the board for a 15-month term.
The Minister is also set to appoint aircraft leasing executive John Lynch for a three-year term.
These appointments require the ratification of Minister for Public Sector Reform Brendan Howlin.
Mr Walsh is a former chairman of the Cork Airport Authority and was chief executive of State-owned energy group Bord Gáis from 2000 to 2007.
He currently operates as an independent business adviser in strategic management.
Mr Lynch is an executive with international aircraft leasing group BBAM, which has a base in Dublin. An engineer by trade, he has also worked for that company in Switzerland.
Both men will receive €15,750 in fees for their roles.
Additional appointments are expected to be made by the Minister in the coming weeks as he refreshes the board of the DAA.
A number of directors stepped down last year after their terms expired, including businessman Bill Cullen and aircraft leasing executive Peter Barrett.
Mr Varadkar recently appointed lawyer Pádraig Ó’Ríordáin as chairman of the DAA to replace former Greencore boss David Dilger who resigned in May 2011.
The Irish Times has learned that Mr Ó’Ríordáin’s mandate incorporates four key goals.
These are the recruitment of a new chief executive to replace Declan Collier, who is moving to a similar role at London City Airport; the implementation of Government decisions on the separation of Shannon and Cork airports from the DAA; a reduction in the company’s debt burden (to include the possible sale of assets at an optimum price); and engagement with staff to formulate a plan to resolve its pension deficit.
In relation to Shannon, the Minister said yesterday that its €100 million debt would have to be written down substantially or possibly altogether if it were to have a viable future as an independent entity.
Speaking at a breakfast hosted by the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, Mr Varadkar said it was his intention to make a decision in principle by Easter as to whether Shannon can be separated from the DAA.
