HSE accused of nepotism after controversial recruits re-hired

THE Health Service Executive has been accused of engaging in further acts of nepotism after some temporary workers recruited in controversial circumstances last summer have been recently been re-hired.

The Irish Examiner has learnt that HSE staff in the mid-west region have expressed concern at how people who were taken on as temporary community welfare officers (CWOs) last year outside normal recruitment procedures were given new positions as clerical officers last month.

It is understood at least three people, who are closely related to long-serving HSE staff, have got jobs through this process.

“There is incredible bad feeling among staff at the moment. Morale in the HSE Mid-West region has hit rock bottom over this,” said one employee who wished to remain anonymous.

Community welfare officers, who are in the process of switching employment from the HSE to the Department of Social Protection as part of major reform of social services, feel particularly angered over the issue as they were not permitted to apply for the vacancies at clerical officer level.

“Some long-serving permanent staff would have liked the opportunity to relocate to another area in order to stay within the employment of the HSE but were not allowed to do so,” said another HSE worker.

Many existing HSE staff were incensed last summer after it emerged that temporary vacancies which arose in the HSE in Limerick and Cork were largely filled by spouses, children and friends of senior HSE employees without such positions being advertised publicly.

The HSE has refused to reveal the findings of an internal investigation report into the allegations of nepotism.

But it is understood that the HSE will in future centralise all recruitment activities to its offices in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, to avoid any potential for HSE staff to secure vacancies for close relatives and friends.

Impact’s assistant general secretary, Andy Pike, acknowledged that his union’s members within the HSE remained “extremely unhappy” at the situation.

He also said there was “considerable unease” among HSE staff at how normal recruitment procedures were contravened last summer in the manner in which temporary CWOs were appointed.

Recruitment for the positions, which carried salaries of €23,000- €29,000 per year, drew from a list of CVs on files, some of which were unsolicited and belonged to people with close ties to HSE staff.

However, Mr Pike said people who were controversially appointed to the temporary CWO positions last year were entitled under employment legislation to be notified of upcoming vacancies in the HSE as they were now “in the system”.

“The most important issue is to maintain existing services to patients during a period of transition with community welfare officers,” said Mr Pike.

He accepted there were still ongoing difficulties regarding the transfer of existing CWOs from the HSE to work for the Department of Social Protection.

A HSE spokesperson was unavailable for comment.