Education body board member resigns in protest

A HIGHER Education Authority (HEA) board member has resigned in protest at the transfer of the Department of Health’s secretary general, Michael Kelly, to the Authority as full-time chairman.

Following the damning Travers Report on illegal nursing home charges, Mr Kelly stepped down as the Department’s top civil servant and was transferred to the HEA as chairman retaining his €166,000 salary.

The Travers Report found that senior officials, more than ministers, had to bear the bulk of responsibility for the failure to act on these illegal charges over three decades, despite repeated warnings.