Bord na Móna paying tax bill for chief’s €127,000 electric BMW ‘unacceptable’ | BreakingNews.ie

Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd has described as “unacceptable” the actions of Bord na Móna when it paid the benefit-in-kind tax bill for its chief executive’s €127,000 electric BMW and health insurance at a cost of €64,000 in 2022.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Dowd, who received the details in a series of responses to parliamentary questions he put to the Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, said that both the cost of the car and the covering of the BIK were unacceptable.

“Ordinary Joe soaps” would be shocked that a CEO’s bill for BIK would be covered by a semi-state company, he said. The Bord Na Móna CEO Tom Donnellan should pay his own BIK, he added.

According to details released to Mr O’Dowd the car provided for Mr Donnellan was an electric BMW iX Sport 5-door SUV worth €127,000. The car has €14,000 of factory extras included – such as metallic paint and a comfort plus pack worth €5,170.

Mr O’Dowd said that most people could only dream of having a car like that. “There should be a maximum ceiling of €60,000 set by the Government for car purchase for any semi-state CEO and if they wish for a higher spec they should pay it themselves.

“It’s unacceptable that amount of money being spent on a car. It is absolutely unacceptable. It’s not good value for money. It’s an appalling situation that money is being wasted on a car of that cost.

“I don’t see why Bord Na Móna don’t actually pay the chief executive officer that amount of money in his pay,” he said.

“I know many people who drive a company car and they’re telling me that after the last budget they were having great difficulty to pay their BIK.

“My own friend’s BIK went from €60 to €100 per week for his company car, and that was on top of increased mortgage payments and having a young family. So the ordinary Joe soap out there, he’s finding it very difficult to pay his BIK. I think it’s a huge issue,” said Mr O’Dowd.