Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has said he had a “detailed and frank” meeting with the chairman of airport operator DAA and three board members on issues that had arisen regarding the running of the company.
He said he had called in the chairman and the board members for talks on foot of a report he had recently received.
Sources said DAA submitted this report to the Department of Transport on foot of a recent dispute between the board and the company’s chief executive Kenny Jacobs.
The Irish Times reported last month that, following a mediation process, the DAA board had signed off on a deal which would see Mr Jacobs receive close to €1 million as part of a voluntary departure from the airport operator.
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Speaking at a budget press conference on Wednesday, Mr O’Brien said he had called in DAA chairman Basil Geoghegan and three board directors to meet him and his officials last week.
He said he wanted “to get a better understanding of the situation there”.
“I am assessing a report which I recently received and I questioned them on that.”
“As it stands right now, the airport is operating well and I want see that continue to happen. I will deal with the issues that have arisen once I have reviewed that report and the options within it with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.
“As I said, I met the chair and three directors last week and we had a very detailed and frank meeting.”
The Department of Transport did not provide any clarification on the report or the options which the Minister said it contained.
Asked about the report which the Minister said had been received, the Department of Transport in a statement on Wednesday: “Minister O’Brien met the Chair and members of the DAA board last Friday. The report referenced at the press conference was an oral update provided by the Chair and Board members present. The Minister will not be commenting further at this time.”
Mr Jacobs (51), a former Ryanair executive, took charge of DAA at the start of 2023.
However, in recent weeks, it emerged that a significant rift had developed between the chief executive and the board of the airport operator.
Last month, the former head of the Workplace Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey was called in to act as mediator in the dispute.
Any exit deal for Mr Jacobs would require the approval of both Mr O’Brien as Minister for Transport and Mr Chambers as Minister for Public Expenditure.
DAA has been contacted for comment.
