A man with whom 500 staff refused to co-operate following his appointment as chief operations manager to a Limerick hospital group has been appointed chief operations manager at the Mater Private Hospital in Cork.

The lack of a signed written contract for a management consultant who was paid €700 a day including expenses for almost two years for work at the University of Limerick Hospitals’ Group (ULG) has been described as “mind boggling”.

A major stand-off between 500 hospital staff and the HSE over the €250,000 pay-packet of a manager heading up a key hospital group is set to escalate after talks to resolve the matter broke down.

Up to 500 staff at five hospitals in the University of Limerick Hospital Group have begun industrial action over the continued employment of the group’s chief operations manager on €250,000 per year — more than twice the €116,000 that would be paid to a public servant.