John Lynch: CIE boss will take cut

FINANCE minister Brian Lenihan's call for top public servants to follow the government's lead by taking a 10% pay cut appears to have fallen on deaf ears among the country's state agencies.

Just three out of 40 state agencies contacted by the Sunday Tribune said their chief executive would definitely be taking a 10% cut in salary. The three bodies are CIE, An Bord Pleanála and the Commission for Energy Regulation.

It is understood the Commission for Aviation Regulation may also be consider­ing cuts. But a number of bodies contacted declined to be drawn on their plans. The Pensions Board said it was its policy "not to discuss the salary arrangements of individual employees". The Housing and Finance Agency said it was a "private matter and we have no comment to make", while the Dublin Docklands Authority simply replied: "no comment".

A spokesman for Bord Gáis said the CEO's remuneration was a matter for the board and will be discussed between the board and the CEO as part of the normal year end review. A spokesman for the Dublin Airport Authority said remuneration of the CEO is a matter for the board of the authority, while ESB said the CEO wanted to look at the issue in more detail and discuss it with the board.

The chief executive of Fás was on holiday leave and could not be contacted for comment, a spokesman said.