Minister will not reconsider his refusal to approve Kenny Jacobs’s €1m DAA exit package
DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs has referred his suspension by the airports authority to his solicitors, he confirmed on Wednesday. Late on Tuesday, it emerged that Mr Jacobs had been suspended on full pay, setting in motion a new investigation into his conduct after months of turmoil in the State airports group.Questioned on Wednesday’s Morning Ireland, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said he wanted to see a resolution to the situation but that he would not reconsider his refusal to sign off on a planned €1 million exit package for Mr Jacobs following news he will be taking “some time out of the business”.The development follows prolonged disruption after new issues emerged when a barrister, Mark Connaughton SC, was investigating two formal complaints against Mr Jacobs in the spring and summer.READ MORESeparated family Christmas: ‘Choosing between my mum or dad. It always felt like I was going to disappoint one’TII to buy Dartmouth Square objectors’ houses as challenge to MetroLink is droppedDAA suspends chief executive Kenny Jacobs pending new investigation ‘You’re never going to keep everybody happy’, says NTA’s head of public transportAlthough Mr Connaughton did not uphold the original complaints, the new issues prompted board anxiety about Mr Jacobs’s role as chief executive and ultimately led directors to conclude he was unsuitable for the role.An exit package had been agreed between the DAA and Mr Jacobs in mid-September, which would have seen him leave the role in January.However, Mr O’Brien refused to approve the deal, saying instead that the board and Mr Jacobs should pursue reconciliation.In a note emailed to staff at 9pm on Tuesday, DAA chief people officer Siobhán Griffin said: “The board has asked me to share with you today that our CEO will take some time out of the business.”Speaking on RTÉ, Mr O’Brien said it was a “matter between the executive and the board” and he’d like to “see it resolved one way or the other”.“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,” he told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland.Mr O’Brien said he would not reconsider approving the exit deal, adding that it’s “not about the cost”.[ Area 14: Dublin Airport’s ghost underground stationOpens in new window ]“It’s a principle as well. I’d rather see our State companies run and managed well, which this one has been and has performed well,” he said.“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 Dublin and Cork [airports] continue to operate successfully and properly.”The suspension followed a DAA board meeting on Monday, at which Mr Jacobs made a submission challenging the board.One figure familiar with that encounter described “robust” engagements with Mr Jacobs and his legal representative.The board went on to consider Mr Jacobs’s submission but there was no breakthrough to end the rift.Contacted for comment on Thursday, Mr Jacobs issued a brief statement in which he confirmed the matter was “with my lawyers and I won’t be commenting further”.
