Taxpayers ‘have right to know when Drumm takes bonus’

TAXPAYERS have a right to know when the chiefexecutive of the HealthService Executive (HSE) draws down his controversial €70,000 bonus, the opposition said yesterday after the HSE insisted it would not disclose if and when the payment is claimed.

Two weeks ago the HSE said the payment had not been drawn down by Professor Brendan Drumm but it has since said it will not be disclosing any more information on it.

“The board has made its decision and Mr Drumm has accepted that and made his position clear,” said a spokesperson.

Labour Party spokeswoman on health Jan O’Sullivan said the taxpayer is ultimately funding this bonus.

“The public have a right to know a lot more than they do know in relation to this and a range of bonuses paid across the board,” she said.

The Labour Party claimed Health Minister Mary Harney is legally entitled to block the bonus if it is not already too late to do so.

Ms O’Sullivan said a letter sent out in May directing that bonuses in the public service should not be paid this year, is sufficient grounds for Ms Harney to make a political decision to prevent the payment.

She said it would be “a hugely significant gesture” if Prof Drumm decided not to take the payment and criticised the handling of the matter by Ms Harney, who has said that Prof Drumm did a “fantastic job” and was entitled to the payment.

Ms Harney has previously rejected Labour claims that she has powers to block a decision by the HSE board under the 2004 Health Act.

But Ms O’Sullivan said Ms Harney is within her rights to do so on a number of grounds.

“Although the payment relates to 2007, the minister could interpret it as being agreed to after the letter was sent out in May, and instruct the HSE board not to make the payment,” she said.

“It’s not just a matter of legality. Circulars go out all the time and are generally interpreted as meaning ‘this is what has to be done from here on’,” she said.

Prof Drumm has come under limited pressure from the Government not to take the bonus with Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe saying “legally he is entitled to it” but drawing it down was “a question of morality” given the cuts taking place in the health service.