Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
27. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the details of the settlement in a dispute between an individual and their former employer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10642/26]
View answer38. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport the information his Department was provided during the process of forming a settlement deal for the outgoing CEO of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority, which he is the sole official shareholder of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10879/26]
View answer39. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport given his role as the sole official shareholder of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority, to confirm the amount of the exit payment to the outgoing CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority as part of the DAA’s recent settlement deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10880/26]
View answer40. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport given his role as the sole official shareholder of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority, whether he had to approve or sanction the exit payment to the outgoing CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority as part of the DAA’s recent settlement deal; if not, the rationale for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10881/26]
View answer41. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport given his role as the sole official shareholder of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority, whether he will publish the terms and details of the recent settlement deal with the outgoing CEO; if not, the rationale for not providing this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10882/26]
View answer42. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport given his role as the sole official shareholder of the State-owned Dublin Airport Authority, whether the Department of Public Expenditure; Infrastructure; Public Service Reform, and Digitalisation, Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (details supplied) applies to the recent settlement deal with the outgoing DAA CEO; if not, the rationale for not providing this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10883/26]
View answer52. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Transport the reasons for the resignation of the chief executive of Dublin Airport Authority; the cost of any settlement/severance package as applicable to the semi-State corporate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10909/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 52 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy, that while daa is State-owned, it operates on a wholly commercial basis. As such it is expected to fulfil its commercial mandate without recourse to any Exchequer funding. Indeed, it paid a dividend of €68m to the exchequer in respect of the 2024 financial year on the basis of profit after tax of €229m on record revenues in excess of €1.1bn that year.
daa confirmed on 5th February that the board and the former CEO had resolved their dispute on terms that are mutually agreeable. Following this agreement, the CEO voluntarily stepped down from his position on that date. The terms of the legal settlement agreed between the former CEO and daa are a matter for both parties, and I had no role in this matter.
In relation to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, I can confirm that daa is aware of the provisions that pertain to legal settlements and the reporting obligations in relation to same in their annual financial statements.
The appointment of a new CEO is a matter for the Board of daa to progress. It is important now that daa continues to focus its full attention on its core responsibilities, in particular the effective operation, management and future development of Dublin and Cork airports, which are essential to economic activity and growth in their respective regions and nationally.
