INO conference: 526 HSE managers earn up to €79,000

UP to 526 senior Health Service Executive managers are earning between €66,000 and €79,000 per year — compared to just eight six years ago.

There were audible gasps from delegates at the Irish Nurses Organisation when this figure was revealed by a north-western delegate at this year’s conference. The executive says the sharp increase is due to the various industrial relations agreements which created new posts. They argued that high numbers of clinical nurse managers are also now earning commensurate salaries.

During yesterday’s conference, the executive came under sustained attack from delegates over the planned staff freeze with Professor Brendan Drumm being attacked for taking a €80,000 bonus when hospital services are being cut back.

An emergency motion was passed by the INO executive council condemning and rejecting “the staffing cutbacks and restrictions imposed by the executive via the September 4 circular”. Cancer patients, terminally ill patients and A&E are all being affected by the freeze on staff hiring, delegates were told.

The executive was harshly criticised for introducing the restrictions without consultation and they were warned that the cutbacks were “resulting in the curtailment of essential services” and “quality patient care”.

“This circular amounts to nothing less than cutbacks and these cutbacks have brought us back 20 years to the 1980s yet we are now supposedly one of the richest countries in the world and then we were in the midst of a recession. We are top heavy with management yet those at the coalface are working to the pin of their collar. Why do the managers not suffer cutbacks,” said Mary Ford of the executive council.

“Operations will be cancelled, services will be reduced and critical patients like those in oncology will be at risk. These cutbacks will and are having a serious impact on patient care.”

Speaking at a separate function in Cork the health service chief executive Brendan Drumm said he found the nurses’ position “bewildering”.

“One of the biggest cost overruns we had this year related to the INO strike action,” he said.

Numerous delegates said they were appalled that their union had been accused of neglecting patient care by not answering phones during their work-to-rule earlier this year.

“During the industrial action, the executive sought an exemption from us for critical areas like oncology and palliative care but then they cut back on these areas because they couldn’t stay within budget. And they still got €20,000 and €80,000 bonuses.”