Irish Water regulator splashes out €340,000 in staff bonuses

The agency that regulates Irish Water last year increased its bonus payments to staff by 15 per cent.

According to the 2015 annual report published by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), bonus payments to staff last year totalled €342,656.

This compares to €297,720 paid out in 2014, and €273,798 in 2013.

Over the past seven years, the CER has paid out almost €1.9 million in bonuses to staff in a scheme that has approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform along with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

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Numbers employed by the energy regulator last year declined from 87 to 86 but staff costs increased from €6 million to €6.5 million.

This included termination payments for two staff members.

Drop in revenue

The increase in bonus payments comes despite the CER going into the red as revenues from levy fees dropped sharply.

The report shows that CER incurred a loss of €535,000 for the year after the regulator enjoyed a surplus of €5.9 million in 2014.

The chief factor was the amount received in income – mainly levy fees – declining from €20.8 million to €16.3 million.

The CER is responsible for setting prices for semi-State companies, such as Bord Gáis and Irish Water. Earlier this month, it told Irish Water to slash its planned spend by €264 million over the next two years.

Referring to the bonus pay model previously, CER stated that its “staff are specialist and highly marketable and retention of expertise can be supported by such a pay model”.

CER’s costs are not paid for directly by the taxpayer, but are funded by a levy on “industry participants”.

The report also showed that the pay to chairman Garrett Blaney last year totalled €202,000, which takes account of €15,000 on pension related deduction.

Mr Blaney’s pay was made up of a basic salary of €168,000, pension of €38,000 and €11,000 in vouched expenses.

Commissioner Paul McGowan received €175,000 under the same headings, that included the €14,000 pension reduction, and commissioner Aoife MacEvilly received €162,000, which included a pension reduction of €13,000.

Nine employees at the regulator enjoyed salaries in excess of €100,000 last year.