State-owned EirGrid is paying 83 employees average salaries of €100,000 or more, according to records made available to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.

The records show the national grid operator paid salaries of €150,000 or more to seven employees this year, while another 15 employees were paid salaries of more than €120,000.

A further 61 employees were paid salaries ranging from €90,000 to €119,999 with the average salary totalling €110,660 according to EirGrid.

More than €1.8 million in bonuses was paid to the electricity grid operator’s 339 employees this year, with the average performance-related award amounting to €5,334.

At the height of the recession, EirGrid was paying 60 employees average salaries of €100,000 or more.

The FOI records show that seven employees were paid salaries of €150,000 or more in 2009 and 2010, while another eight employees were paid salaries of more than €120,000 each year.

A further 45 employees in 2009, and 49 employees in 2010 were paid average salaries of €104,000.

The number of higher earners jumped significantly in 2014, during which 75 employees were paid average salaries of €100,000 or more.

EirGrid said it has key responsibilities in areas of “national priority” including the integration of renewable energy; promotion of competition benefiting consumers; facilitation of balance regional development; and the provision of safe, secure, economic, and efficient power supplies throughout Ireland for all consumers.

“As such, the organisation’s key resource is its staff, who are very highly qualified and need specialist skills and years of experience,” it said.

The national grid operator said it must compete for these sought-after advanced skills in a highly competitive domestic and global marketplace, adding that regularly benchmarks its remuneration levels against the market.

“Average salaries in the company are below those of market comparators,” it said.

During the 2013/2014 financial year, EirGrid spent €781,596 on actuarial and audit services. This was up significantly from the two previous years, when €504,264 and €319,016 was paid.

The amount spent on actuarial and audit services declined to €600,902 this year.

Spending on PR, studies and strategy has jumped significantly between 2008 and 2015, rising from €30,041 to €217,933.