The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) didn’t follow proper procedures when it appointed Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin as chief operating officer, according to a confidential letter from a whistleblower to then taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
In correspondence marked "strictly private and confidential" obtained by The Ditch, a senior official at the authority told Varadkar of serious governance failures at the aviation safety regulator.
These included the hiring of Gavin – which didn't follow proper “procedures such as job advertisements or open competition”, it was alleged.
Allegations
Already employed by the Irish Aviation Authority, Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin took its the chief operating officer position in May 2023.
According to a whistleblower, who was a senior figure at the authority, this position was “filled based on the board and CEO's discretion".
The whistleblower wrote to Leo Varadkar in July 2023.
"Another example of poor management from a governance standpoint is evident in the past three months. During this time, the board has created several new senior management positions, including the chief operating officer (COO) and head of airline standards, without following proper procedures such as job advertisements or open competition."
Current IAA job postings show detailed recruitment procedures including "shortlisting of candidates", "competitive preliminary interview" and "psychometric testing" – the "proper procedures" the whistleblower alleged were bypassed in Gavin’s appointment.
Separate concerns
Separately the whistleblower also told Varadkar about other concerns at the authority.
They said unqualified staff were appointed to critical aviation safety roles and that management and inspectors in the airline standards division "do not possess the minimum requirements for their roles".
They also alleged that board members were sharing "official state sensitive" reports via a "free public unsecure Gmail account".
The authority’s approach to senior appointments, said the whistleblower, was "simply not acceptable in terms of maintaining independence and fairness" and warned it "raises concerns about transparency, equal opportunities, and the potential for favouritism or nepotism".
They said they’d raised these issues with then-transport minister Eamon Ryan but received no response.
"Considering the gravity of these issues which are covered in great detail in the various email correspondence with the Department of Transport and the IAA, I urge you to take immediate action," they wrote in the July 2023 letter, sent two months after Gavin's appointment.
They called for an independent external review of both the Department of Transport and the IAA, arguing that "public organisations should strive for a level playing field where qualified individuals have an equal chance to compete for senior positions, ensuring the best talent is selected to serve the public interest".
Gavin was selected as Fianna Fáil's presidential candidate this month, defeating MEP Billy Kelleher by 41 votes to 29 in the party's selection contest.
The IAA has been contacted for comment.
