Minister Chambers announces publication of Review of Remuneration of Chief Executive Officers in Commercial State Bodies by Senior Posts Remuneration Committee

Minister Chambers today (29th April 2025) published the Review of Remuneration of Chief Executive Officers in Commercial State Bodies (CSBs) by the Senior Posts Remuneration Committee (SPRC).

The Committee was established in March 2024 to provide independent and objective advice to the Minister, supporting consistency and transparency in the pay arrangements attaching to senior roles across the Public Service.

In April 2024 the SPRC was requested to perform a review of the remuneration arrangements for the Chief Executive Officers of Commercial State Bodies. Since 2011 there has been no systematic review of CEO remuneration, thus any increase in salary since that time has taken place on a case-by-case basis. The report was submitted to the Minister on 31 March 2025.

On the basis of their review, the SPRC made a number of findings and 17 recommendations. The Report found that CEO remuneration packages have fallen out of alignment with the market, and that there is a requirement for a transparent and robust framework for the regular review of CEO remuneration to ensure that CEO remuneration levels are set and remain at a level that is appropriate and equitable, recognises and rewards performance, and attracts the best prospective candidates into the future. The SPRC also found that there is a need for CSB Boards to have appropriate flexibility to manage CEO remuneration in line with the organisation’s business needs, performance and capacity to pay, with an enhanced system of governance in place.

Speaking about the publication of the SPRC’s review, Minister Chambers said:

“Today I am publishing a comprehensive review of Remuneration of CEOs of Commercial State Bodies, conducted by the Senior Posts Remuneration Committee. The review has raised a number of vital issues which are currently being faced by our Commercial State Bodies at leadership level. I wish to thank the Committee for their diligent work in reviewing this important cohort.

“The report rightly outlines the importance of fair and appropriate remuneration as a key element in the recruitment and retention of CEOs of CSBs who are critical to the State's future development and economic performance. In the coming years many CSB CEOs will be required to deliver significant projects whilst managing the funding and financing of these projects.

“Having considered the findings of this Report, and recognising the issues raised, Government have today agreed an approach to address a number of the issues raised in the Report. This new approach is designed to bring a more structured and consistent process to the remuneration of CEOs in these Commercial State Bodies.

“A banded salary structure will be implemented for CEOs ranging from their current salary to the market median of the relevant band.

“In line with the SPRC findings in relation to increased flexibility for Boards, the Boards will propose a point on the banded salary structure ranging from the current fixed point salary to the relevant market median.

“Salary proposals or any changes will be subject to governance and scrutiny with approval required by the relevant Minister, and with my consent. There will be no backdating of any changes to pay.

“I will be writing to my colleagues regarding the operational details of this in the coming weeks.”

Notes to Editors

On the basis of their review, the Committee made a range of findings and 17 recommendations. The full Report of the Committee is available on gov.ie here.

The Report and all appendices are being published, with the exception of any information which could pre-empt salary negotiations.

The SPRC was established by the Government following the publication of the Review of Senior Public Service Recruitment and Pay Determination Processes by the Independent Review Panel in June 2023.

The following were appointed as members of the Committee in March 2024:

• Maeve Carton - Chairperson Chartered accountant and former member of the Professional Standards Board of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Governor of the Irish Times Trust and member of the Board of Directors of The Institute of International & European Affairs (IIEA). Former Chairperson of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), and former Director of CRH plc.
• Mary Connaughton - Director of CIPD Ireland, member of the Board of Public Appointments Service and Vice-Chair of the Retirement Planning Council. Previous Head of HR Development at IBEC. Director, Graphite Human Resource Management. Partner, Emerge Consulting. Training and Development / HR Manager, Bank of Ireland.
• Ultan Courtney - Managing Director of Courtney HR Consultants. Chairperson of the Low Pay Commission and previous member of the Public Service Pay Commission. Former member of the Board of CIÉ and former Chairman of Bus Átha Cliath.
• Bernie Gray - Management consultant and executive coach. Member of National Broadband Ireland and the Judicial Appointments Commission. Former HR Director of Eircom, Chairperson of Coillte and Eirgrid plc, and member of the Civil Service Performance Review Group.
• Liam Kelly - Former civil servant and the Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission from 2019 to 2023. Prior to that, he was its Chief Operations Officer from its establishment in 2015. As a civil servant, he was directly responsible for the drafting of significant industrial relations legislation in connection with collective bargaining rights, minimum wage, and sectoral wage-setting frameworks and was head of operational and corporate functions in an Irish State Agency.

Following a request from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on 25 April 2024, the Senior Posts Remuneration Committee was requested to review the remuneration arrangements for the Chief Executive Officers of Commercial State Bodies.

The review considered the following areas:

1. the need to recruit and retain individuals with the necessary skills and experience to deliver on the Public Service agenda;
2. the need to act in the public interest and provide value for money;
3. the need to take account of the conditions of service enjoyed by those in comparable roles in the Public Service and the private sector;
4. the need to reflect the relative levels of remuneration received elsewhere in the organisation;
5. the need to take into account the prevailing economic conditions; and
6. the impact of collective pay agreements.

Commercial State Bodies

• AirNav Ireland
• An Post
• Bord na Móna
• Bus Átha Cliath
• Bus Éireann
• Coillte Teoranta
• Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ)
• Drogheda Port Company
• Dublin Airport Authority (daa)
• Dublin Port Company
• EirGrid
• Ervia
• ESB
• Galway Harbour Company
• Horse Racing Ireland
• Iarnród Éireann
• Irish Aviation Authority
• Irish National Stud
• Land Development Agency
• Port of Cork Company
• Port of Waterford Company
• Rásaíocht Con Éireann
• RTÉ
• Shannon Foynes Port Company
• Shannon Airport Group
• TG4
• Uisce Éireann
• VHI

ENDS