Airport operator daa Chief Executive Kenny Jacobs has said the matter of his reported suspension from his position is now “with his lawyers”.
In his first comments since staff at the operator were told in an email yesterday that he is to “take some time out of the business”, Mr Jacobs said the “matter is with my lawyers”, and that he “can’t say more than that at this stage”.
It follows months of wrangling between Mr Jacobs and the board of directors.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien earlier refused to be drawn on whether Mr Jacobs has been suspended from his position.
The Irish Times reported yesterday evening that Mr Jacobs has been suspended on full pay pending an investigation.
In mid-September, an exit package had been agreed between Mr Jacobs and daa. However, the package was not signed-off by Mr O’Brien and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.
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Asked about the reported suspension on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Brien said: “I’m not the employer, I’m the shareholder [of the company]. My understanding is as per the daa statement yesterday evening. I don’t manage the airport, Dublin and Cork airport are still performing very well.”
Mr O’Brien said he would like to see the matter between the daa executive and the board “resolved one way or the other and I think this is part of that process in working towards a resolution to it”.
“But, I don’t micro-manage the airport, I’m not the employer.
“I have made it clear myself that of my position with regard to sanction of exit packages.
“But I don’t want to say too much on this,” he added.
The minister said “it’s a sensitive issue that’s happening at the moment, work is under way within the board and the executive, I know as well this is part of the process”.
“So, I think additional public commentary on this might not be helpful, and I do want to see it resolved, and I note the statement that is there and I am not going to say anything further on it at this stage.”
Asked if he will reconsider his previous refusal to sign-off a payout for Mr Jacobs as CEO of daa, Mr O’Brien replied: “No.”
He said he would like Ireland’s State companies to be “run and managed well, which this one [daa] has been and has performed well, so I have very particular reasons why I’ve taken this decision, which I think is the correct one.
“But having said that, that’s not the issue.
“The issue is not a payout, the issue is how we can ensure that the airport – Dublin and Cork – continue to operate successfully and profitably and continue to grow,” he said.
Daa, which operates Dublin and Cork airports, appointed Nick Cole to the newly created position of deputy CEO last week.
