Bord Na Móna chief to take role at Irish Water’s parent Ervia

BARRY O’HALLORAN

Bord Na Móna chief executive Mike Quinn is poised to take the same role at Irish Water's parent Ervia after being offered the job in recent days.

He will replace Michael McNicholas at the helm of the State-owned holding company for both the controversial water utility and Gas Networks Ireland.

Mr Quinn, who joined Bord na Móna little more than two years ago, is understood to have been offered the Ervia job recently and formally accepted just days ago.

Neither company would comment yesterday but Ervia did confirm recently that the process to recruit a successor to Mr McNicholas was nearing its end. An announcement confirming his appointment is expected shortly.

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Bord na Móna chief Mike Quinn in running for Ervia role

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More than half of Mr Quinn’s five-year term as chief executive of Bord na Móna has yet to run. He took the job in January 2015 and set about expanding the group further into areas such as renewable energy, biomass and horticulture.

It also due to launch a joint venture with State forestry company Coillte. The company is preparing for the end of the turf harvesting and peat bog exploitation for which it was originally established.

Speculation

There has been speculation about Mr Quinn’s position within Bord na Móna in recent weeks and a number of the organisation’s senior figures believed that he was planning a move.

Before joining the State company, Mr Quinn was group vice-president of Precision Castparts, which makes components for aircraft engines and gas turbines.

He has also worked for Lufthansa Technik, the aircraft maintenance arm of German airline group Styker, Amdahl and Apple Computers.

The government established Ervia after Bord Gáis Energy was sold to British operator Centrica in 2014.

The company’s ownership of Irish Water put it at the centre of the bitter controversy over water charges that sparked mass protests.

The controversy was ultimately blamed for the Fine Gael/Labour coalition's failure to keep a record majority in last year's general election.