€23k pay increase approved for new chief executive of Housing Agency

Ken Foxe

A pay hike of over €23,000 was approved for the new chief executive of the Housing Agency after negotiations between two government departments.

The post was meant to be filled with a starting package of €161,593 per year, the first point on the assistant secretary salary scale of the civil service.

However, the Housing Agency said their preferred candidate had been paid a higher salary than that in his previous role in the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA).

They argued that their new chief executive, Martin Whelan, should start at €184,852 per year, the fourth and final point on the agreed salary scale.

The Department of Public Expenditure said that based on his “substantial knowledge and experience” and his previous salary, they would have “no objection” to the higher package.

Internal records detail how the Housing Agency was left without a chief executive when their previous boss Bob Jordan resigned in September last year after a three-month notice period.

An email from the Department of Housing said: “Given the short lead in time to Mr. Jordan’s resignation there is an urgency in commencing the recruitment process.

“It may be a case that an interim CEO will be required for a number of months as it is imperative that the work and consequential outputs of the Housing Agency is uninterrupted while the substantive CEO process is ongoing.”

In response, the Department of Public Expenditure said they had no objection to a person being appointed on an acting basis if the need arose.

They said the full-time appointment should be made on the assistant secretary level which begins at €161,593 per year and with no perks permitted under government policy.

In November, the Housing Agency said they had found a candidate for the role but submitted a business case to seek a higher starting pay rate.

It said that while Martin Whelan was “enthusiastic about the role,” he had “requested a review of the remuneration package.”

The business case said: “[His] current salary at the NTMA is [redacted] which contrasts with the €163,209 at the first point of the assistant secretary grade.

“To address this and to reflect the level of experience and expertise Mr Whelan will bring, the Agency proposes appointing him at the top of the assistant secretary scale, €186,701.”

It said a committee led by the chair of the Housing Agency fully supported it and believed it was a “prudent and necessary investment.”
As part of the business case, the Department of Housing said they also agreed that Mr Whelan should start on the higher rate of pay.

There were further discussions with details sought on how many people had applied and how many were considered suitable for the role.

In mid-November, the Department of Housing said they were hoping for a final decision as the matter was now “very urgent and impacting the business of the [Housing] Agency.”

On November 29th, an email from the Department of Public Expenditure said they had closely considered the case and the candidate’s previous experience.

“Taking into account his current salary in the NTMA, [we] would have no objection to the Housing Agency negotiating a salary up to the fourth point of the assistant secretary scale,” said the message.

Asked about the records, the Department of Public Expenditure said they had nothing further to add.