A salary increase exceeding €23,000 was approved for the incoming chief executive of the Housing Agency following negotiations between two government departments, reports Breaking News.
The role was originally advertised with a starting salary of €161,593 per annum, which is the initial point on the civil service’s assistant secretary pay scale.
However, the Housing Agency noted that their chosen candidate, Martin Whelan, had been earning more in his prior role at the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), reports Breaking News.
They advocated for Mr Whelan to begin on the top end of the salary scale at €184,852, which is the fourth and highest point on the scale.
The Department of Public Expenditure expressed support for the higher salary, stating that due to Mr Whelan’s “substantial knowledge and experience” and his previous earnings, they would have “no objection” to the revised compensation, reports Breaking News.
Internal correspondence reveals that the Housing Agency was left without a CEO following the departure of Bob Jordan in September of last year, after he served a three-month notice period.
An email from the Department of Housing said: “Given the short lead in time to Mr. Jordan’s resignation there is an urgency in commencing the recruitment process, reports Breaking News.
“It may be a case that an interim CEO will be required for a number of months as it is imperative that the work and consequential outputs of the Housing Agency is uninterrupted while the substantive CEO process is ongoing,” reports Breaking News.
In reply, the Department of Public Expenditure said they had no issue with the temporary appointment of an acting chief executive, if necessary.
They also specified that the permanent position should be appointed at assistant secretary level, starting at €161,593 per year, and should not include any additional perks in line with government policy, reports Breaking News.
By November, the Housing Agency had identified their preferred candidate and submitted a formal request to offer a higher starting salary.
It stated that Martin Whelan was “enthusiastic about the role,” but had “requested a review of the remuneration package,” reports Breaking News.
The business case explained: “[His] current salary at the NTMA is [redacted] which contrasts with the €163,209 at the first point of the assistant secretary grade.
“To address this and to reflect the level of experience and expertise Mr Whelan will bring, the Agency proposes appointing him at the top of the assistant secretary scale, €186,701,” reports Breaking News.
It noted that a selection committee, chaired by the Housing Agency’s board chair, fully endorsed the proposal, describing it as a “prudent and necessary investment.”
The Department of Housing also supported the recommendation for Mr Whelan to receive the higher salary, reports Breaking News.
Additional discussions followed, with the Department of Public Expenditure requesting more information on the number of applicants and the qualifications of those deemed suitable.
By mid-November, the Department of Housing emphasised the urgency of a resolution, saying the delay was “very urgent and impacting the business of the [Housing] Agency,” reports Breaking News.
On November 29th, the Department of Public Expenditure responded via email, saying they had evaluated the submission and Mr Whelan’s background.
“Taking into account his current salary in the NTMA, [we] would have no objection to the Housing Agency negotiating a salary up to the fourth point of the assistant secretary scale,” said the message, reports Breaking News.
When asked about the documentation, the Department of Public Expenditure stated it had no further comment to make.
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