HSE recruitment process concerns
The Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been informed that other staff are being promoted to fill these posts with implications for the overall wage bill in the HSE. The allegations emerged as a result of a complaint by a social worker over the HSE’s decision in 2006 to cancel an open recruitment competition to fill a vacancy as dedicated officer for elder abuse in the HSE South region. The post was filled in 2008 by a manager who had previously worked in a more senior role.
The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA), criticised the HSE for advertising a position that it filled through an internal transfer.
The HSE was also rebuked by the CPSA for failing to accept a complaint from the social worker that it had breached its own Code of Practice over its handling of the matter.
However, the CPSA ruled it had no jurisdiction to investigate the complaint as the position was filled through the reassignment of a HSE employee.
The social worker complained that the HSE had provided contradictory explanations over its cancellation of the open recruitment for the job. He claimed different reasons were given by the HSE to the CPSA and in reply to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan.
“All positions of authority and leadership are awarded on the basis of all sorts of machinations, but clearly never on the principle of merit,” remarked the social worker.
However, the CPSA accepted the HSE’s explanation for the discrepancy after it stated that the reassignment arose out of the continuing process of integration of former health board staff into the HSE.
A source told the Irish Examiner there were many positions filled in a secretive manner during the creation of the HSE.
“There were situations where people arrived in a job through a tap on the shoulder. These positions were never advertised and in some cases people did not meet the required qualifications even though other suitable candidates were available,” said the source.
A separate healthcare source said he was aware of several senior HSE staff in the south-east who were reassigned to “made up” jobs on lower grades which involved very little actual work.
He claimed one manager on a salary of €94,000 was effectively “sitting at home” after being reassigned to oversee a project and PAC chairman Bernard Allen said the committee had sought further information from the HSE and Department of Health about the issue.
Mr Allen said judgment had to be reserved until the HSE had been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
