Civil servant transferred out of Dept of Health

The secretary general of the Department of Health today appeared to be the first casualty in the fall-out from the Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges.

Senior civil servant Michael Kelly’s was today appointed as chairman-designate of the Higher Education Authority.

“Mr Kelly will take up his appointment after a new secretary general is hired for the Department in early April,” a Government statement said.

The Travers Report today criticised management within the Department for not informing former Health Minister Micheál Martin of the illegal charges.

It said the failure of Department management to pursue requested legal advice from the Attorney General on the charges was inexplicable.

The Government statement added: “The appointment is being made in the context of very significant organisational restructuring which is already well advanced in the Health Department, and to which Mr Kelly has made a very significant contribution.”

“Mr Kelly has extensive experience in the public service at a senior level which will equip him to make a significant contribution to the development of the higher education sector.”