Drumm ‘confused’ about controversy over €70k bonus

EMBATTLED Health Service Executive chief Professor Brendan Drumm has expressed “confusion” over his €70,000 bonus as controversy continued to rage over the payment.

Prof Drumm, who earns a basic salary of €370,000, was anxious not to be drawn on the huge award when questioned yesterday.

When asked if he thought it was right for him to accept the €70,000 bonus for his work in 2007 – which is to be paid in this financial year despite the HSE facing €1.2bn worth of cuts – Prof Drumm replied: “You’re asking me about 2007, I’m confused.”

The HSE chief then ignored a number of related questions.

When tackled about the morality of accepting such a bonus – when the HSE has a recruitment freeze, and for work he did during a year beset by cancer misdiagnosis scandals – Prof Drumm again refused to be drawn, stating: “So many people have commented on that already, I don’t feel I need to.”

The Irish Examiner attempted to question Prof Drumm as he left the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee, where TDs had failed to ask him about the bonus controversy.

Labour health spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan questioned whether a man who gets “confused” so easily should be in line for a €70,000 bonus in the first place.

“He clearly did not want to answer the questions. He’s very foolish to take this money and the Health Minister should step in to stop him.

“It sends out such a negative message to HSE staff and patients,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

The HSE has insisted it will not inform taxpayers if Prof Drumm has taken the bonus or not.

As well as his basic salary of €370,000, Prof Drumm receives another €60,000 in related benefits, meaning that the €70,000 bonus would see his package top €500,000.

Controversy rages over Prof Drumm’s bonus at a time when nurses and other health workers at the lower end of the pay scale are being braced to accept yet more deep pay cuts in the looming December 9 budget.

After prolonged stone- walling on the bonus issue, Prof Drumm was asked by TV3 for his response to the criticism of the award, he replied: “It’s a tough life.”

Not on €500,000 a year it’s not, Prof Drumm.