Keane pulls out of race to become next HSE chief

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney’s firm favourite to succeed Prof Brendan Drumm as head of the health service has dropped out of the running for the top management post.

Just four months before the current HSE chief executive’s five-year term comes to an end, Prof Tom Keane has confirmed that he is no longer considering becoming his replacement.

The former interim national director for cancer control removed his name from a shortlist of applicants after meeting HSE board members for the second time last week.

It is understood that during the meeting Prof Keane failed to receive guarantees on a number of proposals including ring-fenced HSE budgets and public service staff freeze exemptions.

The HSE said the process of recruiting a new chief executive – who will be paid a no-bonus salary of €228,466, considerably less than Prof Drumm – is continuing and that process remains confidential.

Consultancy firm Amrop Strategis initially approached 113 potentially suitable candidates for the post, with a further 40 the result of media advertisements.

Ten candidates were short-listed, including a senior physician from Australia who is believed to be one of the main front-runners to replace Drumm.

Labour health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said Prof Keane’s decision to pull out of the chief executive race underlined an ongoing crisis in Ireland’s health service.

“Prof Keane seems to have made his decision on foot of the failure of the board of the HSE to give him guarantees on the level of resources that would be made available, and their failure to give him a commitment that there would be a limited exemption on the Government’s recruitment embargo.

“He has earned the respect of just about everybody concerned with the health services in Ireland, and his decision to opt out of the race, while perfectly understandable, is very regrettable.

“It was no secret that Prof Keane was the first choice for the job as far as Mary Harney was concerned, and this development will further damage her already fragile credibility,” she said.

“I fear that in the absence of a successor to Prof Brendan Drumm, that the matters in the HSE, a body that is already beset by scandals, screw-ups and cover-ups, will deteriorate further and that staff will become further demoralised, disheartened and discouraged.”

Prof Keane’s decision to pull out is the second time in as many appointments the clear favourite to assume the most senior role in the HSE has rejected health service advancements.

In 2005, Prof Aidan Halligan walked away from the HSE chief executive post due to concerns the health service was “overmanaged and under-led”.

“You don’t need €17 billion. You absolutely don’t. You need leadership,” Prof Halligan said at the time.