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.
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."
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