Staff at the State-owned communications regulator ComReg last year shared bonus payments of €1.067m, according to the 2022 annual report for the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
The annual report shows that staff shared €1.067m in performance related pay, or 8% of total pay costs for the 12 months to the end of June last.
This compares to bonus payments of €1.05m for 2021.
A note attached to the accounts states that the €1.067m in performance related pay is in accordance with the provisions of the performance related remuneration scheme and the terms of the staff members' contracts of employment.
ComReg last year recorded a surplus of €24.9m compared to a surplus of €23.5m in 2021.
The regulator recorded the increase in surplus after its income rose by 6% to €65.86m.
The bulk of ComReg's income comes from licensing fee income from communications firms of €44.1m with levy income generating €9.67m, spectrum income generating €9.1m while "other income" generated €2.97m.
Comreg's "other income" or "sundry income" increased almost three fold from €1.16m to €2.97m.
A note attached to the results states that sundry income for 2022 includes €2.8m received from Virgin Media Ireland Limited after a settlement agreement reached following ComReg’s investigation of certain compliance matters.
The accounts show that €25.76m was payable to the Exchequer at the end of June 2022.
Overall pay costs to staff at ComReg in the 12 months to the end of June 2022 increased to €13.8m and the annual report shows that the numbers earning over €100,000 at ComReg last year totalled 42.
This included two staff members who earned over €230,000.
The breakdown shows that along with the two earning over €230,000, a further two staff earned between €220,000 and €230,000 with 38 earning between €100,000 and €190,000.
Numbers employed at ComReg last year increased from 142 to 144.
Legal costs incurred by ComReg last year increased from €3.19m to €3.24m made up of legal advice costing €1.38m and costs from legal proceedings costing €1.86m.
The regulator's overall costs last year increased by 6% from €38.68m to €40.95m and its costs included 'Technical Advice Costs’ of €9.77m that included 'Professional & Technical Advice’ costs of €7.72m.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
