Health service officials refuse to give up top-ups

At least eight high-ranking health service officials are refusing to give up their right to hidden contract "top-ups" — and have threatened legal action if the money is removed as planned next month.

HSE director general Tony O’Brien confirmed the stand-off is taking place at the latest Dáil public accounts committee meeting yesterday, more than half a year after the depth of the scandal was first made public.

Answering questions from the cross-party public spending watchdog, he said out of 143 health agencies affected — namely HSE funded charities and voluntary hospitals mainly funded by the State — some 85 have discontinued the additional pay-outs to top-level staff.