Sinn Féin has urged Ministers to reject the proposed €1 million exit package for the head of the DAA Kenny Jacobs, agreed as part of a deal which will see him leave the airport operator.
Sinn Féin said the package represented “an insult to workers and families”.
The party urged the Oireachtas committee on transport to seek the DAA to appear before it next week about the background to Mr Jacob’s departure from the State-owned commercial company.
The Irish Times reported on Tuesday that the board of the DAA had reached an exit agreement with Mr Jacobs following a mediation process. Under its terms, Mr Jacobs would leave the airport operator by mutual agreement with an exit package of close to €1 million.
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The package has to be approved by the Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.
Neither Minister commented publicly on the issue on Wednesday.
Sinn Féin’s spokesman on transport Pa Daly and spokeswoman on Public Expenditure Mairéad Farrell urged the two Ministers to reject the proposed deal.
In a joint statement they said such a significant allocation of public funds was unjustifiable in the face of a raging cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Daly said: “The chaos and years of mismanagement at DAA has gone on for far too long. This massive exit package is yet another example of the complete dysfunction that has been allowed to flourish.
“Government has been aware of these issues for some time now. However, they have completely failed to get on top of it.
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“As a result, the taxpayer is now on the line for a massive payout. That is why I am calling for DAA to appear before the Transport Committee next Wednesday to get to the bottom of this.”
Ms Farrell said that at any time, the proposed exit package would be an insult to ordinary people.
“In the context of a raging cost-of-living crisis, which the Government has no plans to address in Budget 2026, it is totally unacceptable. We do not need more waste of public taxpayers money.”
“Therefore, Deputy Daly and I are calling on Minister O’Brien and Chambers to reject this ... proposal and instead to redirect scarce resources to where they are needed to address the cost-of-living crisis in Budget 2026.”
A spokesman for DAA said the company was considering the invitation from the Oireachtas committee to attend a hearing next week.
The DAA manages Dublin and Cork airports, as well as holding contracts to run airports and duty free shops at various locations around the world.
