A Progressive Democrats senator has demanded that Aer Rianta board members who received gifts of expensive watches from Mr Noel Hanlon return them immediately.
The former Aer Rianta chairman gave himself and four selected retiring and former board members watches valued at €9,000 each. They were paid for out of Aer Rianta funds.
Mr Hanlon's spokesman said the watches were intended as "appropriate recognition of the exceptional contribution" made by the board members. The entire board of Aer Rianta were put out of office last week and replaced by the Dublin Airport Authority. Most of the members left empty-handed.
The PD transport spokesman, Senator Tom Morrissey, today described the donations as a "gross abuse of public money". He also called for an immediate investigation into the legality of Mr Hanlon's actions.
"I am demanding to know if this action by the Chairman of the Aer Rianta Board is in compliance with Department of Finance procedures governing semi-state bodies," he said.
"In the public interest and as a matter of self-respect, I am calling on those people who received these watches to hand them back, and disassociate themselves from this outrageous behaviour."
Fine Gael's finance spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton, described the situation as "somewhat bizarre" and said the gifts were unjustifiable. "I don't know why the taxpayer should be stuck with paying out money for gold watches," he said.
"I think there needs to be a serious look at how semi-state bodies appear to be defying Government policy," Mr Bruton told RTÉ radio this morning.
