Cancer patient who criticised Kenny over pay hike dies

The cancer patient and campaigner who wrote to Enda Kenny criticising pay hikes for special advisers at a time of cutbacks in the health service has died.

Former Fás worker Yves Chavanne lost his battle with throat cancer on Thursday night.

The father of three was surrounded by family and friends when he passed away at St Francis Hospice, Raheny, Dublin.

The 61-year-old sent a letter to the Taoiseach asking why the Government was breaking its pay cap for advisers when health budgets were being cut.

He spoke to the Irish Examiner about his letter, in which he criticised the salary of ministerial adviser Ciaran Conlon being bumped up by €35,000 to €127,000.

His letter, one of nearly 100 complaints sent to Mr Kenny on the issue, said that he was a stage-IV cancer patient who could not get follow-up treatment before because he claimed “a budget for it had already been spent”.

Mr Chavanne said thatcrucial treatment never went ahead after surgeons tried to remove a 17cm tumour from his throat.

After this paper published details of his letter, a campaign took off which saw frustrated members of the public post messages and pictures on Facebook.

Speaking last night, his oldest daughter Mélanie Wallace-Chavanne said: “I couldn’t be any prouder of my father. He always fought for everything, for fairness and for the underdog.

“We were holding his hand when he took his last breath. We could see that he was in pain but now that’s over.

“He kept talking about the kindness of strangers and the people who had contacted him. He wasn’t just angry for himself. It was for people who had lost jobs and those emigrating and getting on planes.”

Mr Kenny said at a public event on Feb 21 that he would personally reply to the dying man. His family last night said they not yet received any response. A spokesman for Mr Kenny did not immediately return calls last night.

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