Consultants seek over 10% pay rise

HOSPITAL consultants are due to seek pay increases of well over 10% from the State, arguing that their pay rates have dropped significantly in comparison with similar professional ranks.

They met yesterday to discuss their final submission to the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, which set a deadline of today for receipt of all pay claims.

“The 10% was seen as an interim measure as we were due to negotiate our contract with the department but those negotiations never took place. We’ve been waiting for these talks for three years now,” Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) secretary-general Donal Duffy said.

Consultants are currently paid between €122,000 and €154,000 for their public hospital work while many double this figure with private commitments. Senior officials in local authorities and senior health service executives are understood to be seeking pay increases of 10%-12%, under a review of upper pay levels in the public sector.

The 1,700 consultants say they are “playing catch up”, as similar ranking professionals like High Court judges, the Secretary General of the Department of Health and Government ministers, were granted 20% pay increases in 2000 and 2001 while they got 10%.

Cabinet ministers received increases of more than 20% under the last review and earn about €140,000 a year.

Senior officials of the Health Service Executive (HSE) are also paid over €100,000 while the new chief executive position in the HSE broke new ground on pay after he negotiated a salary of €300,000.

Local authority county managers receive salaries ranging from just over €100,000 to €150,000.

Earlier this year, the Government asked the Review Body to carry out a general study of the levels of remuneration of the top public service posts. After examining various submissions, the review body is due to report to the Government before the second half of 2007.

Their report will coincide with the report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body, which will be reporting on remuneration of the rest of the public service.