Some 17 per cent of employees at State agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) earned a salary of more than €100,000 in 2021, according to a spending review paper published by the Department of Finance on Thursday.
This compared with just 5 per cent of its full-time equivalent workforce in 2016. One reason given for the sharp rise in the numbers earning six-figure sums was the level of public sector pay increases over the period, with the average salary of two grades on the pay scales exceeding €100,000 as a result.
On average, there was a 14 per cent increase in salaries across all grades at TII since 2016, when it came into being. The average pay rises were in line with “broader public sector pay developments over the period”, the review paper notes.
Over the five-year period, TII’s pay allocation increased by €4.2 million to €23 million while the total number of full-time equivalent staff rose from 255.9 to 276.3. TII said that €3 million or 71 per cent of its pay bill increase over the period was “required to fund existing staff”.
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Toll charges
The review paper also notes that the Government’s decision to suspend road toll charge increases from January 1st until the end of June will cost the exchequer between €15 million and €16 million. TII had planned to push through an 8.6 per cent increase to reflect the rise in the consumer price index up to August 2022, but the Minister for Transport “directed” that the toll increases be suspended for six months.
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TII is a non-commercial semi-State body operating under the umbrella of the Department of Transport. It combines the functions of the former National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency.
Its main responsibilities include securing the provision of the national roads network and the construction, operation and maintenance of light rail and metro infrastructure. It is the sponsoring agency for the MetroLink rail project in Dublin, and is also the “approving authority” for greenways.
