Department taking legal advice on publishing salaries of secretaries general

Secretary general at the Department of Health Robert Watt was subject to a highly critical report by the joint committee on finance.

The Department of Public Expenditure (DPER) says it is currently considering legal advice from the Attorney General about the legal soundness of publishing details of the salaries of secretaries general.

The issue had arisen in January after it emerged that Robert Watt in his new role as head of the Department of Health had been claiming an €81,000 pay rise to his salary, despite previously stating he would waive the rise until such time as “the economy begins to recover”.