THE GOVERNMENT is writing to hundreds of State board members to tell them they have the option of waiving their fees as part of a cost-saving initiative.
Annual fees for individuals on the estimated 120 State boards range from €6,000-€14,000 for ordinary members and from €11,000-€29,000 for chairmen. In addition, they are entitled to travel expenses.
Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin has written to personnel officers in Government departments advising that any serving or future board members be “given the option to waive the related board fee on a discretionary basis”.
The move is likely to have been influenced by the US-based Irish Technology Leadership Group which is creating a panel of 100 Irish executives based overseas who are willing to serve on State boards free of charge between now and 2016.
Among those who have already made themselves available for board appointments are Tom McEnery, former mayor of San Jose; Barry O’Sullivan, a vice-president with Cisco; Rory McInerney, an Intel vice-president; Una Fox of the Walt Disney Company; and Conor Allen, vice-president of the technology division of the New York Stock Exchange.
Mr Howlin’s letter, details of which appear in today’s Leinster Leader, asks departments to ensure State bodies proceed with the changes immediately. Officials say the request may not yield major savings, but will at least give members the formal option of forgoing payment when they are appointed.
“It’s a discretionary move,” said one official. “Payment is there to recognise the work that people do. But if some choose not to take it, then there’s a facility to do that.”