Dublin Airport Authority chief executive Kenny Jacobs failed to declare his private airline investments to the Department of Transport when joining the board of the State company, despite then minister Eamon Ryan directly asking him to set out any potential conflicts.
Mr Jacobs, a former Ryanair executive, took command of DAA for a seven-year term in January 2023, joining its board as an ex officio director. He later told an Oireachtas committee of his shares in multiple airlines operating in Dublin Airport but said there was no conflict of interest.
Although Mr Ryan had asked Mr Jacobs to set out any potential conflicts when appointing him to the board, the department has now said he didn’t disclose any: “Mr Jacobs advised then minister for transport Eamon Ryan when accepting the position that he had no conflict of interest to declare.”
Mr Jacobs told an Oireachtas committee in June 2024 that he owned shares in 12 airlines with Dubin Airport operations but believed there was no conflict of interest.
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“Given it’s 12 different airlines who are all customers of Dublin Airport, I don’t think it’s a conflict,” he told the committee. “I think owning 12 – not owning one or two in particular – I don’t think is a conflict.”
Two days later, it emerged that Mr Jacobs owned shares in three big airline groups – Ryanair, IAG and Lufthansa – which own multiple subsidiary carriers operating in Dublin Airport. IAG subsidiaries include Aer Lingus.
The department was replying to questions from The Irish Times after releasing papers on Mr Jacobs’s appointment to north Co Dublin campaigners against airport night flights and the new north runway. St Margaret’s the Ward Residents’ Association sought the files under the Freedom of Information Act.
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They include Mr Jacobs’s letter of appointment to the DAA board from Mr Ryan, the leader of the Green Party and transport minister in the last government.
Mr Ryan asked Mr Jacobs to tell the department of “any matter(s) that could potentially cause a conflict of interest for you in the role”.
The records suggested Mr Jacobs did not declare any conflict, prompting the residents’ group to question the department. An official replied: “There was no conflict of interest brought to the attention of the department by any director at DAA.”
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Liam O’Gradaigh, the residents’ group spokesman who made the Freedom of Information application, said the lack of disclosure by Mr Jacobs was deeply concerning.
“It is quite clear that Mr Jacobs was obliged to bring to the attention of the Minister and his department any potential conflicts of interest,” Mr O’Gradaigh said.
“We know that Mr Jacobs has shareholdings in 12 airlines that operate out of Dublin Airport, yet he did not bring this to the attention of either the Minister or his department.”
Mr Ryan had no comment for this piece when asked whether Mr Jacobs should have declared the shares.
Replying to questions, the department said incoming DAA directors were “invited” to disclose any potential conflict of interest at the time of their appointment.
Referring to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo), the department said it was for individuals to make statements of interest under the Ethics in Public Office Act. “It is a matter for the board of DAA to manage any potential conflict of interest with a director.”
DAA did not reply to questions about Mr Jacobs’s failure to disclose his airline shares to the minister.
The company reissued a statement it put out in June 2024: “Mr Jacobs holds legacy shareholdings in three airline groups that predate his joining DAA. These holdings, which remain unchanged, were fully disclosed by Mr Jacobs in all returns made to Sipo since taking up the CEO role.”
The company also reissued a statement made then by DAA chairman Basil Geoghegan saying Mr Jacobs “has complied with the relevant corporate governance and state ethics disclosure requirements”.
