Racing chief's pay was over the odds

 » Ministers signed off on €190,000 salary plus car  » ‘Impossible’ to get right person on less money

- KEN FOXE

TWO Fianna Fail ministers signed off on a €190,000 annual salary with a company car for the chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland – even though the starting salary set for the role had been just €137,356.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue both agreed to top up the package to the tune of more than €50k after HRI warned recruitment would be “extremely difficult” based on lower rates.

HRI ended up appointing Suzanne Eade – who had been serving as their chief financial officer – to the role and she formally took up the post late last year.

Discussions over the salary began last June with the Department of Agriculture sending a copy of a draft contract for Ms. Eade to officials in the Department of Public Expenditure the following month.

It said a salary of €190,773 per annum would be awarded but that this would be phased in over a three-year period. the executive would be paid €174,773, in year two a rate of €182,773, and for years three to seven, the higher amount would apply.