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David Gunning looks on as Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaks to the media in September. Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland
coillte
Coillte CEO says he will take voluntary pay cut
David Gunning was criticised over the weekend but the forestry body insists he never refused to take the cut in the first place.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Coillte has volunteered to take a 15 per cent pay cut, the company has said this evening.
The decision by David Gunning comes following a weekend of pressure from the government and opposition after it emerged on Friday that unlike the CEOs of other semi-state bodies he had not yet taken the 15 per cent cut the government had requested.
In a statement Coillte said at no stage did Gunning refuse to accept the proposed voluntary waiver.
“Coillte has consistently indicated that no decision had previously been made on the matter, which has been under consideration for some time,” a statement said
Gunning had been criticised over the weekend with Taoiseach Enda Kenny saying he was “very disappointed” over the matter while Fianna Fáil described Gunning’s actions as “mind boggling” and “totally unacceptable”.
The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, has been informed of Gunning’s decision which will see his salary reduced to just over €250,000 per year. It had previously been over €297,000 annually.
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