IMO quizzes Reilly in McNeice pension probe

Just how much Health Minister James Reilly knew of the deal behind a potential €25m pension pot for a union chief will form part of a review into the controversy.

Dr Reilly was a member of the Irish Medical Organisation’s remuneration committee when a deal was struck in 2003 with outgoing union chief executive George McNeice.

Following a weekend meeting of IMO members, where many vented their fury at the deal, union president Dr Paul McKeown confirmed they had been in contact with Dr Reilly.

“There has been contact between the minister and the organisation. It was a private discussion,” said Dr McKeown.

However, Dr McKeown confirmed that a letter was sent to the IMO, after the 2003 deal was struck, by then chair of the remuneration committee, the since-deceased Dr Cormac McNamara, stating that the other members of the committee were aware of the terms and conditions.

Dr McKeown said some of the members who attended the weekend meeting “disputed that they had ever actually engaged in a remuneration committee”, or that it meant anything in practice. The four-man committee consisted of Dr Reilly, Mick Molloy, Fenton Howell, and Dr McNamara.

However, Dr McKeown said they would be asking all members of the committee to feed into a retrospective forensic audit of the union’s finances, including details of the McNeice deal. The audit will be carried out independently, following tender.

Asked if it would include Dr Reilly, Dr McKeown said: “I would hope so, yes.” A spokesperson for Dr Reilly said he would not comment until the review is complete. A separate review will look at corporate governance. Both are expected by the autumn.

Oliver White, a Co Mayo GP who attended the weekend meeting, said how the McNeice deal was reached remained “clear as mud”.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get to the bottom of it, but I think we have to accept where we are and move on,” said Dr White.

Roscommon GP Greg Kelly said it was part of a “systems failure”.

“At the end of the day, doctors are busy people,” said Dr Kelly. “They come to meetings maybe once a month and they haven’t time to investigate what is going on in the office. And of course their skills aren’t in that field.”

Asked what the auditors’ position was in relation to the deal, Dr McKeown said they had asked accountants Hamill, Spence and O’Connor for their account of the situation and that the IMO was reserving its position pending further discussions.

He emphasised that the deal was the IMO’s failure and not the fault of Mr McNeice. Dr McKeown said the IMO hoped to reinvigorate itself and bring greater accountability and transparency for members.

As part of a break with the past, it is examining the possibility of holding its AGM away from the Hotel Europa, Fossa, Co Kerry.