Robert Watt had 'no input' into €292k salary, says Minister McGrath

Robert Watt had 'no input' into the sanctioning of a €292,000 salary for the new secretary-general at the Department of Health, Minister Michael McGrath will say tomorrow.

Top civil servant Robert Watt had “no input” into the sanctioning of a €292,000 salary for the new secretary-general at the Department of Health, Minister Michael McGrath will say tomorrow.

Documents sent by Mr McGrath to the committee, obtained by the Irish Examiner, do, however, show Mr Watt did have extensive involvement in the formation of a booklet relating to the new post, which he currently occupies on an interim basis on a salary of €211,000.

The documents show emails between officials in which Mr Watt’s handwriting is clearly visible, with detailed notes on the front of some of them, and in others, he has written notes for Mr McGrath who was then his line minister.

On one, dated December 15, 2020, Mr Watt said: “Minister, I understand that you wish to advertise the Sec-Gen, Department of Health role as a Top-Level Appointments Committee (TLAC) competition. Please see booklet attached and in particular the section on terms and conditions, Robert.”

Another note, shows Mr Watt’s note informing unspecified persons about the forthcoming position and asking whether they wished to apply for it.

In a letter to the committee, Mr McGrath, as the line minister, said the newly sanctioned salary will only apply to the person appointed, arising from the open competition currently underway.

He says in his letter that on December 30 last, he approved the final terms for the advertisement of the post of secretary-general of the Department of Health.

On January 6, he confirmed Cabinet was informed that the process for the position was about to commence and that it would attract “improved terms and conditions” reflecting the responsibilities of the post.

Mr McGrath said the consideration and decision to appoint a serving secretary-general to the Department of Health on an interim basis is a matter for Government.

“In line with a decision taken by Cabinet on January 6, Mr Robert Watt was assigned to the role of Secretary General in the Department of Health on an interim basis,” he says.

'Openly advertised'

Regarding the selection process, Mr McGrath says the position was openly advertised on 8 January 2021 by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).

In minutes of a meeting on October 30, written by Martin Fraser, Secretary-General to the Government, it is stated the meeting was held at the request of the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to discuss a permanent appointment to the position of secretary-general of his department, which was at the time held in an acting capacity by Deputy Secretary Colm O’Reardon.

The letters states Mr Donnelly wished to “quickly fill” the role on a permanent basis and to explore the options available to the Government.

The secretary-general outlined four options: 

• Asking the acting secretary general to stay on for a more extended period; 
• A transfer of a serving secretary general;  
• An open TLAC competition based on the existing remuneration package, which was likely to attract a field of serving assistant secretaries from within the civil service; 
• An open TLAC competition based on an enhanced remuneration package, which might attract a stronger field of candidates.

Mr McGrath, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, therefore undertook to consider the question of an enhanced package, on the basis that it would be set at a level below €300,000 per annum.