The Government has no choice but to give CEOs leading semi-State organisations large pay rises, a Fine Gael TD has argued. 

The CEO of the Port of Waterford will see his pay rise by €30,000 to €150,000, while the Dublin Port Company CEO’s wage will rise from €210,000 to €238,000. 

Other CEOs in the semi-State sector have also benefited from generous pay rises; the CEO of Uisce Éireann has recently seen his pay jump by €100,000. 

The Senior Post Remuneration Committee has argued that generous pay deals at the top of the public sector are needed to recruit and retain talented individuals. 

However, on The Claire Byrne Show, Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said the increases are completely inappropriate. 

 “I think that when you see that what's on offer for people on the minimum wage is an increase of just above 4%,” she said. 

“But for some of the chief executives here is an increase of 33% and more salaries going up to €300,000 plus. 

“I wonder where the priorities of the Government are.”

The Dublin Fingal West TD branded the move “tone deaf” and noted the Government is not legally obliged to accept the recommendations of the Senior Post Remuneration Committee. 

“Absolutely the body made a recommendation, I understand that,” she said. 

“The Government does not have to sign off on it, they are not bound to sign off on it.

“They took that decision and, I think, in that decision we saw very clearly where their priorities are.” 

'We're competing with the private sector'

Also on the programme, Fine Gael TD John Clendennen said he is “acutely aware” of his constituents’ cost of living pressures. 

“This in many ways is done through a board where there's an independent review process,” he said. 

“It's proposed to a minister, it's evidence based and it gets the approval of Government.” 

Deputy Clendennen continued that the Government has no choice but to pay people in the public sector generous salaries, or else they would move to roles in the private sector. 

“No one in Government or any backbencher wants to see us having to increase, but we're living in times where we're competing with the private sector,” he argued. 

“Our infrastructure in particular, in terms of what we're doing to try and grow the economy and strengthen and ensure a robustness for the future, is seeing large projects, complex projects being introduced and completed for the best interest of the future of Ireland. 

“In many cases, these chief executives have responsibility for hundreds, if not thousands of staff.”

The Offaly TD also accused Sinn Féin of not wanting the Government to succeed. 

“They want to see us not be able to recruit,” he claimed. 

“And then come into the chamber in six weeks or two months time, ‘What are you doing to drive on passenger numbers? What are you doing to bring more people through our ports?’” 

Responding to the accusation, Deputy O’Reilly accused him of desperation. 

“I can understand why they wheel out their backbenchers with their script to say this,” he said. 

“But the simple fact is it is tone deaf on behalf of the Government.”

Main image: Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers and Finance Minister Simon Harris. Picture by: Alamy.com.