ICT boss at HSE in conflict of interest probe

THE HSE’s national ICT director, who oversees a €100 million annual information technology development budget, has been placed on administrative leave over claims of a conflict of interest involving private firms.

Gerard Hurl has been temporarily replaced in his €138,000-a-year post by Fran Thompson due to the former’s connection to the Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland (HISI), which he has chaired since 2003.

The 700-member voluntary health informatics professionals umbrella group accepts sponsorship payments of up to €15,000 a year from IT firms, a number of which have been awarded HSE tenders in recent years.