Top-up payments to senior health managers criticised by Taoiseach

Five senior managers in the health services received a total of €739,000

in top-up payments between 2005 and 2010, Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil.

He added that an employee at Tallaght hospital had received an additional €150,000 in payments since 2005.

He said an audit had concluded there were 36 types of allowances being paid to 191 senior managers at an annual cost of €3.224 million. Some allowances were for clinical directors in compliance with salary scales negotiated under the 2008 consultants’ agreements.

“We cannot have a situation where those further down the line, who have taken serious change in the restructuring of the health system, have borne the brunt of the situation, while some people who have received non-exchequer top-up payments amounting to, in some cases, more than the basic salaries of those further down.”

Mr Kenny said that in some cases private funding was used to top up approved rates of pay, with 13 agencies paying additional remuneration or benefits such as company cars, car expenses or pension contributions to a total of 34 managers at a value of €912,472.

He added that Minister for Health James Reilly and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin had issued correspondence that was very clear in indicating salary scales must be strictly adhered to.

Revelation
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said there had been a disturbing revelation in The Irish Times that one-quarter of the State's health and disability agencies were in breach of public pay policy.

“Given that it is only a few months since the Haddington Road agreement, it beggars belief the allowances have been sustained and, more importantly, kept from public view and hidden under the carpet,’’ he said. “In many instances, the basic income of nurses does not equate to the average top-up allowance the executives are being awarded.”

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said the master of the National Maternity Hospital received a package of more than €281,000 while the chief executive of the Central Remedial Clinic received more than €242,000.

“This is when thousands of children with development delays and behavioural issues are waiting over a year to see specialists,’’ he added.

Outrage
Independent TD Joan Collins said children could not leave Crumlin hospital because the HSE could not provided a home care package. "The mother of one of these children has to come up from Kilkenny every Monday, go home on Thursday,'' she said. "It is an outrage that this happens in this day and age.''

Later, responding to topical issue questions from Sean Fleming (FF), Dr Reilly said the Government was trying to weed out additional expenditure and sweeteners in the health service at a time when funding, exchequer or private, should be going into the provision of services to patients. He added that the same rule must apply to senior managers as to those on the frontline.

Dr Reilly said the HSE had written to all the agencies involved, with a deadline of yesterday to respond. "The Department of Health will receive a comprehensive report from the HSE on compliance with public pay scales within the next few days.''

He said the Government would take action on the issue and bring transparency and fairness to the system.