IMO president promises more robust set of regulations

Doctors’ union president Matthew Sadlier says the organisation will emerge from the controversy over the pay and pension package of its former chief executive with a more robust set of rules and regulations.

The controversy surrounding the pay and pension package of the Irish Medical Organisation’s former chief executive, George McNeice, worth almost €10m, overshadowed the organisation’s AGM in Killarney, Co Kerry, over the weekend.

Dr Sadlier said the IMO had responded to the controversy with great transparency and a commitment to learning from its mistakes.

“I’m not defending the mistakes that were made over many years but I am determined that we learn from them so they cannot happen again,” he said.

Dr Sadlier said he wanted to renew the IMO through a process of increased engagement with members and greater transparency about its operations, but felt it best to wait for two review exercises to run their course and reach their conclusions.

The Dublin-based consultant psychiatrist has put a payment for his position on hold pending a review of governance in the organisation, but has said he would be reimbursed for expenses and that, until last year, was unaware of the payment involved or how it was calculated.

Former presidents received about 25% of the chief executive’s pay for their year in office but, according to the IMO, the holders of the office would have been unaware of how the payment was calculated.

Speaking on RTÉ yesterday, Dr Sadlier said the IMO’s annual accounts that included salaries and pensions were published every year, but that in future members would be told in advance of the payment to be made to any future chief executive.

He said part of the review process would focus on the €2.3m in State funding that was spent on the IMO’s website, mygp.ie. The HSE gave a commitment that it could investigate how the money was spent on the now defunct website provided that its findings were confidential.

Dr Sadlier said the funding issue would be part of the review process but, because the issue pre-dates his involvement with the organisation, he could not comment on the issue.

Asked about the IMO’s opposition to legislating for the X case following last weekend’s vote by members, Dr Sadlier said it continued the organisation’s policy passed a number of years ago.

Dr Sadlier said any submissions made by the IMO when consultations are sought in regard to a proposed change in legislation would have to reflect the organisation’s policy in regard to abortion.