Reilly: Top-up pay likely to go beyond health service

Investigations into top-up payments to state-funded agencies are expected to widen beyond health following demands that other ministers examine their own agencies.

Health Minister James Reilly told the Dáil he was sure his Cabinet colleagues would examine the issue from their own perspective. He also denied claims by the former chairman of the Central Remedial Clinic, accountant Des Peelo, that health chiefs agreed to payments to charity officials.

Dr Reilly said senior managers of agencies or bodies were subject to pay policies similar to frontline staff. He outlined how the HSE was investigating payments to health-linked agencies following revelations the CRC used its charity funds to pay large top-ups to managers. The probe would include so-called section 39 agencies or part state-funded bodies, he said.

Meanwhile, the HSE chief, who has led calls for people getting top-ups to end the practice, himself received €151,884 in extra payment between 2006 and 2012. HSE director general Tony O’Brien got the €25,314 annual additional allowance while CEO of the National Cancer Screening Service.

During the six-year period Mr O’Brien, who is now on a €185,350 salary, was given €151,884 in extra pay for filling the project director of the national plan on oncology role in addition to his normal work.

The issue first emerged late last year when Robert Watt, the secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, was asked to ratify a HSE director general salary of €195,000 a year.

Mr Watt declined and instead said “corrective steps” needed to be taken as 18% of Mr O’Brien’s previous salary should not have been allowed.

While it was later found the HSE was at fault, the money was not recouped. Asked about the issue, Dr Reilly said the problem was from “a different time, a different regime, and a different government”.

A spokesperson for Mr O’Brien said: “At the time, Mr O’Brien was not an employee of the HSE but CEO of the National Cancer Screening Service. On Apr 1, 2010, this was subsumed by the HSE and staff, including Mr O Brien who transferred to the HSE”.

She said Mr O’Brien was “legally retained his terms and conditions of employment and remuneration and was transferred to a permanent position as associate director”.