The chairman of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Gary McGann, has announced his decision to step down from the board.
Mr McGann said he made his decision to focus his time and energies on his principal role as chief executive of Smurfit Kappa Group in the current global downturn.
He said: “My decision has also been influenced by my former non-executive directorship of Anglo Irish Bank.
“At all times, I acted with honesty and integrity in this role, but given recent commentary about events at the bank, my decision today is made in the best interests of the DAA and of Smurfit Kappa Group.
“I have agreed with the Minister that I will work with the Department of Transport to effect a smooth transition.
“I have enjoyed my tenure as the first chairman of the DAA and extend my best wishes for the future to the customers, staff, management and fellow board members of the company.”
In a statement released tonight the DAA thanked Mr McGann for “his vision, his expertise and the exceptional personal commitment he has made to the business during this period.”
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said he had accepted Mr McGann’s offer to resign from the board of the DAA “with regret”.
Earlier today Ryanair called on the Minister to remove Mr McGann from his post in the interests of “corporate governance and semi state monopolies”.
The airline said as a non executive director at Anglo Irish Bank McGann had “failed to demonstrate any reasonable level of corporate governance over the management, or the published accounts of that bank”.