Dublin Port Company's expenses scandal

Just listened to the RTÉ Drivetime on this expenses scandal in the past few hours. It should be uploaded here shortly.

So much outrageous stuff mentioned on that programme alone that isn't even mentioned below. It's like Rody Molloy meets Pat Hickey meets John Delaney meets John O'Donoghue. A man named Éamonn O'Reilly is Dublin Port's CEO.

Chief executive's €95,000 credit card bill out of €522,000 company total

Dublin Airport Gold Card purchased by Dublin Port manager ‘in error’


State-owned Dublin Port pays €7m for garden at HQ and €205k for ferry launch song

Spending at Dublin Port is in the spotlight after the 'Sunday Independent' revealed how chief executive Eamonn O'Reilly spent almost €95,000 on his credit card on flights, hotels and other expenses in 2018.

Mr O'Reilly's expenses included a €5,500 air fare for Dublin Mayor Nial Ring to fly to Chicago.

Four executives at the port company - including Mr O'Reilly - spent close to €270,000 between them in 2018 on their company credit cards, on everything from iTunes subscriptions and dishwasher repairs, to foreign travel. The total spend among staff on credit cards was €522,000 in one year.

The 'Sunday Independent' also revealed the State-owned company spent more than €200,000 commissioning a song from musician Philip King for the launch of the Luxembourg-owned 'Brexit Buster' ferry the MV Celine.

The port paid Mr King's company South Wind Blows a total of €205,000, excluding Vat, for the commissioning, staging and performance of the music piece 'Celine'.

The semi-state company, which runs the country's biggest shipping port on behalf of the State, also spent just under €7m on a maritime garden and other developments in its port-city integration project.

This project included new pedestrian entry points, dramatic new steel entrance gates, a refurbished podium, new sculptures, a maritime garden and seating. It also included a new footbridge and relocated car parking facilities to the rear of the site and the installation of a refurbished crane from the 1960s to act as a new landmark.

Each month in 2017 the company paid out as much as €700,000 to construction firm Wills Bros, as well as landscapers and electricians. By the time the port company had paid two final bills of €500,000 and €335,000 in late 2018, the cost was €6.97m.

Dublin Port Company confirmed that in 2018, there were 22 credit cards in issue among its 160 staff.

"The total spend on credit cards in 2018 was €522,000, or 1.2pc of a total operating cost base of €43.6m," the company said.

In a statement, Dublin Port Company said it is well managed, profitable and has a turnover of €90.4m, which has grown by 28pc in the past 10 years. Its total operating cost base is €43.6m.

"Dublin Port Company's internal auditor reviews expenditure including on credit cards and reports directly to the Audit and Risk Committee of the board. No concerns have been raised about any expenditure."

It also says the port's 'Masterplan' also contains a clear commitment to greater port-city integration in support of business growth and development, including the project at Port Centre.

"The capital expenditure on the project of €6.97m was fully reported to the board and approved."

It added that all such expenditure is subject to competitive tendering.

Great to see Dublin Port Company is taking decisive action and is... launching an investigation into who leaked all this "sensitive" information to the media: Dublin Port Company investigates data leak

Entitlement knows no bounds. Beyond contempt.

_blaaz

This mr oreilly is gas craic....dishwasher repairs and tax payers picking up.the tab

Balanadan

Did they pay benefit-in-kind tax on the iTunes subscriptions, dishwasher repairs etc.?

mad muffin

I blame Leo. He’s and ineffective and weak leader. The rats are partying up a storm…

Your Face

Probably leaked by a jealous colleague who would be equally as greedy given the chance.

mad muffin

mad muffin wrote: »

I blame Leo. He’s and ineffective and weak leader. The rats are partying up a storm…

Ah now.

I'm as big a critic as Leo Varadkar as the next right-thinking man (not literally right-thinking), but how is he responsible for this?

It isn't the Taoiseach's job to micromanage every semi-state in the land, no more than he should be responsible for Bord na Mona. There are well-paid professionals, sourced from private industry, who manage the company and seem to have f*cked up here. Any blame lies with them.

Harry Palmr

Public sector entitlement culture is rampant.

Jupiter Mulligan

Long after the kneejerkers have moved on to the next "scandal" I'll be interested to learn the full facts about the named expenditures.

Sending Lord Mayor Niall Ring to Chicago seems like an excellent initiative. The problem was that they bought him a return ticket.

mad muffin

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Ah now.

I'm as big a critic as Leo Varadkar as the next right-thinking man (not literally right-thinking), but how is he responsible for this?

It isn't the Taoiseach's job to micromanage every semi-state in the land, no more than he should be responsible for Bord na Mona. There are well-paid professionals, sourced from private industry, who manage the company and seem to have f*cked up here. Any blame lies with them.

I don’t think there has been as much corruption in recent memory under his stewardship.

Everyone has their fingers in the jar because they know nothing will happen.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Entitlement knows no bounds. Beyond contempt.

Yes, to take one of the 'small' things there: how would you even go about paying €5,500 for a flight to Chicago? What is wrong with the Dublin Port Company's person going on to Skyscanner and booking a flight for the mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring (who happens to be a local businessman from very close to the Dublin Port Company)?
I just jumped on to Skyscanner and found a return flight to Chicago for €1,023 in the middle of July.

Nothing seems to have changed culturally since the expenses scandals of FÁS/Molloy/O'Donoghue etc ten years ago. Likewise with all these other people spending thousands per night of our taxes on suites in five-star hotels when a four-star would be perfectly adequate. We need FOI requests on many more of these people.

touts

205k for a song. and the excuse is it wasn't just the song it was a WHOLE party. Jesus wept.

Departmentn of Health: 2 billion for a Hospital with no equipment.

Department of Communications. 3 billion for glorified dial up.

Dublin Port. Hold my beer.

mad muffin

mad muffin wrote: »

I don’t think there has been as much corruption in recent memory under his stewardship.

That sounds like an horoscope.

I think we all have certain suspicions when it comes to major capital projects. Some of those suspicions may well be justified, as they have been when it came to previous FG Governments. I reckon we share a common suspicion of electing to Government a party which deliberately aligns itself with large commercial interests.

But to date, it must be admitted that the above assertion is not founded in fact.

Beechwoodspark

Philip jaysusin King got 205k for a song????!!!

He wouldn’t fill a paper bag if he was playing a concert.

Poor Uncle Tom

mad muffin wrote: »

I blame Leo. He’s and ineffective and weak leader. The rats are partying up a storm…

god, you're a mad muffin, leave them party away, shur arnt they just copying the Irish Water quango....

BeerWolf

Corruption is everywhere in Ireland, unashamedly so in the publuc eye... And we never do anything about it. Just more "outrage", then nothing till the next piece of News.

gordongekko

Is there anywhere we can hear this song that we the taxpayer paid for?

touts

You've got to hand it to Fine Gael. Any time they are in government they don't make many people rich. But the ones they do, boy they make them Millionaires.

suicide_circus

do yiz remember all those tribunals we had for years and years over corrupt practices in official Ireland? absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to be a gombeen nation.

HBC08

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yes, to take one of the 'small' things there: how would you even go about paying €5,500 for a flight to Chicago? What is wrong with the Dublin Port Company's person going on to Skyscanner and booking a flight for the mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring (who happens to be a local businessman from very close to the Dublin Port Company)?
I just jumped on to Skyscanner and found a return flight to Chicago for €1,023 in the middle of July.

Nothing seems to have changed culturally since the expenses scandals of FÁS/Molloy/O'Donoghue etc ten years ago. Likewise with all these other people spending thousands per night of our taxes on suites in five-star hotels when a four-star would be perfectly adequate. We need FOI requests on many more of these people.

I'm guessing it was a First Class flight?

Beechwoodspark

7 million for a garden?!?!?

Ah ffs lads

NSAman

Oh come off it, the company dishwasher was repaired.

The 5,500euro for flights to chicago were business class flights (actually some eejit could have gotten these at 3300 dollars round trip) but sure the poor creatur had to work after flying so far..... it aint easy being in a posh hotel in Chicago thousands of miles away from home with no fun to be had in this dangerous city......(how much was the limo from the airport)

NSAman

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

7 million for a garden?!?!?

Ah ffs lads

There was lots of grass.... ffs

Takes time to bring nice grass to fruition... not to mention having to maintain it and cultivate it....

Grass doesn't grow on tress ya know..;)

Franz Von Peppercorn II

Balanadan wrote: »

Did they pay benefit-in-kind tax on the iTunes subscriptions, dishwasher repairs etc.?

They should. I once ran a tiny little two person IT company and i would have known to never expense personal items. I expensed travel, office costs, equipment and very rarely a business lunch. Didn’t stop me getting audited and boy did I need to have explanations for the 3 lunches.

How does revenue not notice these guys? Same as the bank regulator I suppose, golf buddies.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

suicide_circus wrote: »

do yiz remember all those tribunals we had for years and years over corrupt practices in official Ireland? absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to be a gombeen nation.

The tribunals themselves were corrupt.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

Franz Von Peppercorn II wrote: »

They should. I once ran a tiny little two person IT company and i would have known to never expense personal items. I expensed travel, office costs, equipment and very rarely a business lunch. Didn’t stop me getting audited and boy did I need to have explanations for the 3 lunches.

How does revenue not notice these guys? Same as the bank regulator I suppose, golf buddies.

I think anyone who has ever run a business can understand this frustration, anyone who has ever sat up until the wee hours trying to figure-out what percentage of their phone-line should be deductible for business purposes, and how much for personal use. Fear of error is more than enough to make you lose sleep.

If people like this are taking the piss, it tends to discredit the entire system.

knipex

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

7 million for a garden?!?!?

Ah ffs lads

Cluster***k and all as this entire episode is the 7million garden is a cheap headline.

The 7 million was for more than a garden, it involved roads, new entrances to the part, signage etc. I understand (from the media) that its part of the process of integrating the port lands with the city.

Im not defending this for a second and it certainly needs investigating but read beyond the headlines..

I have never worked for the sate or a state owned company. I have worked for many SME's \ multinationals and the days of petty cash or leaving a "signed cheque" for emergencies is long gone. One of the company credit cards would be used to pay for general stuff. Ordering parts etc from a company where an account wasn't in place, a call out to repair a boiler or dishwasher in the canteen. Sub \ license for the on-hold music, or music played in reception. Repair of a puncture or a new Tyre on one of the compay vans \ cars etc. Flights hotels, car hire etc for multiple people were commonly booked on cards belonging to one particular director.

I had a company card for a few years and 10k a month wouldn't be unusual. often less than half would have been my direct expenditure. 3 or 4 guys would have had their flights, hotels etc booked on my card which was actually a "department card".

biko

Even though I'm very anti-EU maybe it's best to have the Germans rule us after all.

James Brown

It's the latest example of everyone chancing their arm because we dont do accountability. The tax payer gets rode.

Balanadan

biko wrote: »

Even though I'm very anti-EU maybe it's best to have the Germans rule us after all.

Currywurst for some, miniature German flags for others!

It's now available on the RTÉ website to listen to, starting at 1:21:

Dublin Port Company expenses

One guy had €30,000 of spending on his credit account, which was all spent in the pub - or rather in a number of Dublin pubs. What fantastic financial control there that a guy can buy whatever he wants in the pub for himself and his colleagues (presumably) and get the Irish taxpayer to pay for it. Another one paid €1600 for a single hotel room in Chicago...

Yeah, they're taking the piss. And nothing will happen to them. Once in this country people were proud to only spend according to their needs. The 'waste not, want not' mentality which loads of older people still have. And there was also not a little patriotism when you were working for our (impoverished) state to live frugally if you were privileged enough for the taxpayer to be paying for you.

Jupiter Mulligan

Deleted User wrote: »

It's now available on the RTÉ website to listen to, starting at 1:21:

Dublin Port Company expenses

One guy had €30,000 of spending on his credit account, which was all spent in the pub - or rather in a number of Dublin pubs. What fantastic financial control there that a guy can buy whatever he wants in the pub for himself and his colleagues (presumably) and get the Irish taxpayer to pay for it. Another one paid €1600 for a single hotel room in Chicago...

Yeah, they're taking the piss. And nothing will happen to them. Once in this country people were proud to only spend according to their needs. The 'waste not, want not' mentality which loads of older people still have. And there was also not a little patriotism when you were working for our (impoverished) state to live frugally if you were privileged enough for the taxpayer to be paying for you.

Evidently there's absolutely no need for an investigation.

You have investigated the matter to your complete satisfaction and have decided that they're all guilty of corruption on a scale unseen since Al Capone fixed the 1931 All-Ireland Camogie final.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

Jupiter Mulligan wrote: »

Evidently there's absolutely no need for an investigation.

I dont think anybody here is calling for no investigation.

Probably most believe that any investigation is likely to be as useful as a hog roast at a bar mitzvah.

Yer Da sells Avon

touts wrote: »

You've got to hand it to Fine Gael. Any time they are in government they don't make many people rich. But the ones they do, boy they make them Millionaires.

_blaaz

biko wrote: »

Even though I'm very anti-EU maybe it's best to have the Germans rule us after all.

The way that airport in berlin has panned out and gone over budget,

makes simon harris look like a austere,penny pinching accountant

Jupiter Mulligan

Franz Von Peppercorn II wrote: »

I dont think anybody here is calling for no investigation.

Probably most believe that any investigation is likely to be as useful as a hog roast at a bar mitzvah.

Perhaps. But I gather that a couple of Dail Committees are getting excited at the chance of some cheap publicity and have decided to do a bit of investigating.

Some of us - a small minority admittedly - are interested in finding out the facts that lie behind the hysterical tabloid headlines, before we perform the predictable Boards.ie kneejerk.

Of course I, being a cynic, can't help wondering whether it was it a coincidence that this info was leaked into the public domain on the same weekend that the Minister for Transport had gifted €5m of taxpayers' funds to his colleague John Halligan's beloved Waterford airport.

But then again, the Minister for Transport wouldn't have anything to do with Dublin Port or the Sunday Independent, would he?

James Brown

Jupiter Mulligan wrote: »

Perhaps. But I gather that a couple of Dail Committees are getting excited at the chance of some cheap publicity and have decided to do a bit of investigating.

Some of us - a small minority admittedly - are interested in finding out the facts that lie behind the hysterical tabloid headlines, before we perform the predictable Boards.ie kneejerk.

Of course I, being a cynic, can't help wondering whether it was it a coincidence that this info was leaked into the public domain on the same weekend that the Minister for Transport had gifted €5m of taxpayers' funds to his colleague John Halligan's beloved Waterford airport.

But then again, the Minister for Transport wouldn't have anything to do with Dublin Port or the Sunday Independent, would he?

You honestly think people aren't interested and too eager to move on or people can be pretty sure nothing will come out of it and hope more situations might cause change due to the sheer weight?
TBF theres alot of sneaky greasy crony things going on and if we all stayed on sitserv and waited...well we'd still be waiting. Best to multitask.

I trust you aren't doing the investigating yourself, do you think we'll all be disinterested if any facts come out? If so we'll be interested and equally disappointed when nobody is held to account.

The song and the credit card and general attitude is a big issue, the gardens and the rest that is different.

Effects

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

You can't blame anyone but the people for that clown. They just re-elected him.

Sonny noggs

Balanadan wrote: »

Currywurst for some, miniature German flags for others!

Swastikas for the rest?

knipex

Jupiter Mulligan wrote: »

Perhaps. But I gather that a couple of Dail Committees are getting excited at the chance of some cheap publicity and have decided to do a bit of public grandstanding.

ftfy

CrankyHaus

These mismanagement issues seem common enough with our Harbours and Ports, though due to its size Dublin Port's are on another level. Dun Laoghaire had similar problems, with staff suing for "PTSD" when it had to rein in the fun and games after Stena left and the money ran out, and beneath public attention some smaller ones around the country have been operated as rotten boroughs.

This suggests that the ownership model is the problem. We make each harbour and port a private company 100% owned by the state (typically through the Department of the Marine). This model has inadequate oversight and leaves the company officers to their own devices until the money runs out. This is unacceptable when it comes to assets we the taxpayer own and pay for.

Hector Savage

95k on credit card - plus his massive salary, a f*cking DISGRACE!
Wonder how much of those credit card expenses were on prostitutes ?
I'd say a good chunk ...

expectationlost

mariaalice wrote: »

The song and the credit card and general attitude is a big issue, the gardens and the rest that is different.

I don't think the gardens are different, yes it was spent on rearranging the whole grounds of their HQ as well as creating a garden but it seems just a little grand.

arctictree

How difficult is it to make sure a monopoly turns a profit? I doubt they even have a sales team.

Hector Savage

Hector Savage wrote: »

95k on credit card - plus his massive salary, a f*cking DISGRACE!
Wonder how much of those credit card expenses were on prostitutes ?
I'd say a good chunk ...

95k is possible, I ran up a good few quid on mine at different times on a few jobs and I'm nowhere near director level.

However everything has to have a paper trail and receipts. Years later I can still pull out and show a full & complete record of all spending.

Topgear on Dave

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

95k is possible, I ran up a good few quid on mine at different times on a few jobs and I'm nowhere near director level.

However everything has to have a paper trail and receipts. Years later I can still pull out and show a full & complete record of all spending.

I do about €3k per month on my company card, so the amount wouldn't concern me, nor would the dishwasher repair as that is most likely the office dishwasher.

€5.5k for a presumably business class flight to Chicago is excessive, but again, that wouldn't worry me too much. The €1500 hotel room would though.

My big question would be "Why" they are paying for the mayor to go to Chicago. Why didn't he pay for it and expense it himself? Why is a port company sending anyone to Chicago? was there a conference or was it just a jolly for a mate?

Aegir

Aegir wrote: »

€5.5k for a presumably business class flight to Chicago is excessive, but again, that wouldn't worry me too much. The €1500 hotel room would though.

My big question would be "Why" they are paying for the mayor to go to Chicago. Why didn't he pay for it and expense it himself? Why is a port company sending anyone to Chicago? was there a conference or was it just a jolly for a mate?

I agree. They should be able to show all receipts and a business justification for the spending.

It wouldn't be the first time somebody got a sweet jolly on the taxpayers expense.

3DataModem

Deleted User wrote: »

how would you even go about paying €5,500 for a flight to Chicago? .

Business class. Flew to LA last year for 4,500, so 5,500 not out of the question.

dudara

Internal and External Audit should be on top of this, to ensure that spend is in line with corporate policy. It sounds excessive, but we are missing a lot of details.