Claim over HSE chief's earnings

HEALTH SERVICE Executive (HSE) chief Prof Brendan Drumm will earn €1,700 every working day or €8,500 a week if he receives a bonus payment of €80,000, it has been claimed in the Dáil.

Padraic McCormack (FG, Galway West) said it was a scandal the HSE was awarding €1.4 million in bonus payments to senior executives for their performance in 2007. Senior HSE executives were paid these bonuses on top of their wages - "anything from €10,000 to €80,000. The chief executive earns €380,000 a year. He may get a bonus of up to €80,000. And it shows the breathtaking arrogance at a time when there are such savage cutbacks on the front line of the health services," Mr McCormack said.

There were cutbacks in home help, there were no wheelchairs or medical aids or appliances for people in desperate need. There were also cutbacks in respite care.

Minister of State Michael Kitt said: "The level of awards made to individuals are solely a matter for the board of the HSE."

Speaking for the Minister for Health, he said savings were being pursued in operational overheads such as "reduction in travel and subsistence, a reduction in consultancy and advertising costs and cancellation of all non-essential training".

The awards were made on the demonstration of "exceptional performance" and all the indications were that targets such as 1.184 million cases of inpatient and day cases in hospitals would be met "and perhaps exceeded", he said.