120 sign petition to force IMO meeting

The Irish Medical Organisation will hold an extraordinary general meeting in the coming weeks after a south Dublin GP gathered 120 signatures from other members to trigger the move.

Dr Cathal O’Suilleabhain submitted the petition yesterday following concern among members over a number of issues, including the €9.7m retirement package for IMO chief executive George McNeice.

Four motions will be ruled on at the EGM, including a motion that the IMO appoint an interim chief executive with no previous connection with the organisation.

Another motion calls for an external, independent review of the financial and management activities in the IMO over the past 12 years. Another demands that a seven-person committee be put in place to oversee the external review.

Dr O’Suilleabhain said the reason for the petition was primarily to stop people in the IMO who “have been there for some time from investigating themselves”.

He said a thorough investigation of the financial situation within the IMO was required, amid concerns that many members have left the organisation.

He said it was “very hard to know” how many members were in the IMO at present and claimed fewer than 20% of junior doctors were members. He added that some members were “afraid” to support motions calling for a review of the workings of the IMO.

A spokesman for the IMO last night confirmed that the petition had been received and said that it would be considered at the next meeting of its council, due to take place next Saturday.

The petition is sufficient to trigger an EGM, and the spokesman said the council would facilitate the calling of the meeting within four weeks of next Saturday.

Under original arrangements Mr McNeice’s pension would have left the IMO with a potential liability for €25m. While that was more than halved following negotiations, a number of members said the workings of the organisation need to be conducted.