Newly published accounts show that 79 members of staff in Teagasc earned over €100,000 last year, including salaries, overtime, allowances and other benefits.
According to the Teagasc Annual Report and 2021 Financial Statements, the pay bill at the state agency increased by €3 million or almost 4% to €85 million last year.
The report attributed this to general public-sector pay rises, along with an increase of 32 in the average number of staff employed.
At the end of the year, there was a total of 1,330 staff employed at the agency.
The document also highlights that 169 staff members earned between €60,000 and €70,000, while 135 workers were paid between €70,000 and €80,000.
The accounts detail that last year, 141 staff received overtime payments; the highest aggregate amount paid to an individual was €20,701.
The net retirement benefit liability in January 2021 was €1.36 million.
The annual salary and benefits for the director of Teagasc stood at €170,000 last year. Prof. Gerry Boyle completed his term as director in September 2021 and was replaced by Prof. Frank O’Mara.
Teagasc’s general operating expenses increased by €2.5 million to €43.3 million due to increased activity as the Covid-19 restrictions eased.
The state agency’s total income in 2021 was €194 million, up 3.9% on 2020.
Almost €145 million in grant aid was allocated to Teagasc last year by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). This is an increase of €7 million on the 2020 allocation of €137.5 million.
Teagasc Authority
The Teagasc Authority consists of a chairperson and ten ordinary members, all of which are appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The members of the authority are typically appointed for a period of five years and may be re-appointed for a second term
The latest consolidated financial statements also outline that the total fees paid to the Teagasc Authority stood at €101,318 last year, in addition there were expenses of €16,275, over half of which were claimed by chair of the authority, Liam Herlihy.
The 2021 accounts also provide an insight into key Teagasc expenditure during 2021.
It details that the closure of staff canteens as a result of Covid-19 resulted in a cost reduction of €404,000 in 2021 compared to 2019.
This led to an increase in the agency’s spending for staff and client hospitality from €47,000 in 2020 to €114,000 last year.
The report discloses that Teagasc has a 10-year premium seat sponsorship agreement with Croke Park at an annual cost of €4,800 for “staff incentive and stakeholder entertainment”.
In addition, the financial statements show that Teagasc spent €744,000 on purchasing livestock last year, up from €490,000 in 2020.