Robert Watt is set to take on a high-profile new role leading efforts to revitalise Dublin city centre, with a salary of more than €280,000 as part of the Government’s long-awaited response to concerns about the capital’s condition and safety.
The senior civil servant, who most recently served as Secretary General of the Department of Health, will move to head up the new body tasked with delivering the recommendations of the Dublin City Taskforce. His appointment, signed off by Cabinet, will see him seconded to Dublin City Council for an initial three-year period, operating at Secretary General Level I, with a confirmed salary of €280,902.
The move follows the expiration of his contract at the Department of Health, where he had been earning approximately €297,000 per year, making him the highest-paid civil servant in the State. A Government spokesperson confirmed that his pay has now reverted to the standard rate for his grade.
The taskforce itself was established in 2024 by then Taoiseach Simon Harris, amid growing concern over the state of Dublin city centre following the November 2023 riots and the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its recommendations aim to address issues ranging from public safety and urban decay to long-term economic and cultural regeneration.
Central to the plan is the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), designed to oversee and accelerate delivery of key projects. While work is ongoing to formally establish the SPV as a legal entity, the Government has confirmed that an interim project management unit, led by Watt, will be put in place to maintain momentum.
Among the flagship projects expected to fall under the remit of the new body are the redevelopment of the General Post Office (GPO) and the wider O’Connell Street area, alongside plans to convert derelict sites into housing for key workers. Other major proposals include the development of the Parnell Cultural Quarter and the regeneration of the historic fruit and vegetable market in Smithfield.
Earlier this year, Dublin City Council indicated that an initial €114 million in funding would be required to kickstart the programme, with the full implementation of the taskforce’s recommendations potentially costing up to €1 billion.
The taskforce was previously chaired by David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, who is expected to take on a role as chairman of the new entity. Its membership has included representatives from across public services, business, trade unions, arts and culture, as well as experts in architecture and urban planning.
Watt’s appointment places one of the State’s most senior and, at times, controversial officials at the centre of one of the most significant urban regeneration efforts in recent years.
He has previously drawn scrutiny, notably in 2023, when he appeared before the Oireachtas finance committee and rejected elements of an external review into the proposed secondment of former Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College Dublin. A year earlier, the same committee accused him of “seriously mishandling” the issue.
His views on public sector reform have also attracted attention, including comments in 2014 suggesting it should be easier to dismiss underperforming public servants while rewarding high performers.
Reacting to the appointment, Marie Sherlock, Labour TD for Dublin Central, said the scale of the salary underlines the level of expectation now placed on the role.
“I very much welcome that Robert Watt has been appointed as Chief Executive of the Dublin City Regeneration Authority. Government has moved at a snail’s pace on the taskforce recommendations which were published 18 months ago. There is now very considerable expectation and high hopes of Mr Watt in his role. I want to wish him well in this task. Funding and political will is critical to its success,” she said.
