Bonus pay for Uisce Éireann staff rose 17pc to €10.57m last year, annual report reveals

Uisce Éireann’s annual report for 2023 shows that the total for performance-related pay was up €1.4m on the €9.17m awarded to staff in 2022.

The bonuses, paid to 1,631 employees in respect of 2023, were approved by the board last January, with the average payment being €6,480.

The annual report states that the Uisce Éireann pay model is both market based and performance related, and comprises two elements – basic salary and the bonus based on performance.

The report says “performance is assessed against individual objectives and corporate objectives through a balanced scorecard process”. A spokesman for the utility company pointed out that bonuses are taxable, and €6,480 is the gross figure prior to tax.

The report also reveals that the number of staff earning over €100,000 last year came to 344 – an increase of 27pc, or 73 more than in 2022.

The detailed figures show that two staff members earned between €250,000 and €275,000, nine between €225,000 and €250,000 and five between €200,000 and €225,000.

Overall staff costs increased by €20m to €115m and the report states that “payroll costs were €20m higher, reflecting increased headcount and pay progression in accordance with agreements”.

The average number employed by Uisce Éireann increased from 1,231 to 1,478. No bonus payment was made to Uisce Éireann CEO Niall Gleeson, as a result of a government direction in 2011. The remuneration package paid to Mr Gleeson remained at the same level of €276,000.​

The utility’s spend on hospitality for staff and clients last year more than doubled from €54,000 to €129,000. The spend was made up of €116,000 on staff hospitality and €13,000 on clients.

Last year, pre-tax profits at Uisce Éireann increased by 50pc to €378.56m as revenues rose by 20pc from €1.3bn to €1.56bn.

Revenues were made up of €1.06bn in government subvention payments for domestic water billing, non-domestic revenues of €245.46m, and new-connection revenues, which almost doubled to €246.84m.

Chief financial officer Chris McCarthy said the profit generated, together with government capital contributions of €581m, enabled the successful delivery of a €1.28bn capital investment programme in 2023.

“This allowed us deliver jobs, increase capacity for housing and development and support economic growth.”​