Kenny promises action on top-up payments to health executives

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Government wants to weed out additional sweetners provided by State-funded voluntary hospitals and agencies to senior executives.

Mr Kenny said that was particularly so at a time when any funding should be used for services to patients and not for unsanctioned payments to senior managers.

Although the Taoiseach made it clear yesterday that he disagrees with the practice, it remains unclear whether the Government would act to recoup payments laid in the employment contracts of the individuals concerned.

“We do not, cannot and will not have a situation where chief executives have had their public pay service agreements breached by unauthorised non-Exchequer payments,” Mr Kenny told the Dáil. “People in the health service, above anyone else, have taken serious structural changes, to their credit, in an attempt to reform the health system. We cannot have those at higher levels being in receipt of allowances outside the agreed public pay service scale.”

The HSE is expected to provide a report to the Government in coming days on the number of agencies considered to be in compliance with official policy on pay.