McDowell advised hospital on top-ups

St Vincent’s Hospital Group was legally advised by former justice minister Michael McDowell that salary top-ups for seven senior staff were compliant with government pay policy because the extra funding came from private sources.

The senior counsel’s opinion was one of several sought by the Dublin hospital before it revealed two days before Christmas that seven senior staff, not three as previously believed, had received top-ups.

Among them was group CEO Nicholas Jermyn, whose public salary of €136,282 was privately topped up to €292,000.