DAA’s €117k car spend for former CEO blasted as ‘unacceptable in every respect’ as ‘get houses in order’ warning issued
AN AIRPORT firm’s CEO getting to use a €117,000 Range Rover on top of his salary and pension has been blasted as “unacceptable in every respect”.
DAA, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports, spent the princely sum on a three-litre Land Rover Range Rover Sport Diesel SUV for its former boss, Dalton Philips, in 2019.
It was bought as part of Mr Philips’ contract and used on top of his €235,000 salary and €110,000 pension, the company told RTE, but the airport supremo never personally owned the vehicle.
Mr Philips, who started in 2017, left his role last year to become CEO of Greencore.
He was paid the above amounts in 2021, as well as an “other” payment of over €25,000 in 2022 for annual leave not taken.
His daa contract was signed off by the then-Transport Minister Shane Ross and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe.
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But Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd it is a sign that these departments “need to get their houses in order”.
The Louth deputy added: “It’s sports diesel. It’s an SUV. It’s three-litre diesel. It’s everything it shouldn’t be.
“The key point is that this person works in Dublin. The average speed in Dublin of a car is about 17km/h. It’s the second lowest speed in Europe.
“So this car is going nowhere, but at enormous cost to the environment and to the State and it’s entirely unacceptable in every respect.”
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“The Departments of Transport and Public Expenditure and Reform, who gave the go ahead for the purchase, need to get their houses in order.
Mr O’Dowd also hit out more generally at allowances being paid to semi-State executives.
He added: “All government departments need to assess what vehicles are being purchased with their consent.
“Big equals power equals status is the old way of doing things. The days of the 3l diesel, the Range Rover or SUV, are well and truly over.
“It’s a complete waste of money as well.”
'MORE THAN ENOUGH'
He told RTE that €60,000 was “more than enough” for a vehicle “no matter what company you run”.
A spokesperson for Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan told RTE: “While the operation of Dublin Airport is a matter for the daa, the minister is asking the department and the daa to provide all relevant information on the company car provided to the previous CEO.”
The daa said the SUV “is provided under the CEO employment contract” and added: “The vehicle was sourced through the daa fleet management contract provider. The fleet management contract was tendered in mid-2012 with a seven year term.
“The terms and conditions attached to the CEO employment contract were determined with the consent of the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in compliance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.”