More exit packages for senior HSE staff may be on cards

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it is possible there will be more redundancy packages as the HSE is reorganised. Picture: Brian Lawless

There could be more exit packages for senior HSE staff as management roles continue to be reduced, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said.

The “correct processes” were followed in awarding an exit package of almost €400,000 to Dean Sullivan, the former chief strategy officer, the minister said.

Mr Sullivan is to be granted a package worth €388,983, but will “not receive all of that amount, net”. 

Mr Donnelly was aware the package was to be paid.

He said: “I can understand for anyone in Ireland, anyone who’s earning the average industrial wage, or even well above the average industrial wage, these are large amounts of money, there’s no question about it.”

However, he said redundancy packages are common across the public sector and employees have rights when their roles are removed.

He said that with plans for the HSE to slim down the number of managers, it is possible there will be other redundancy packages.

“There may well be other redundancy packages but certainly, we are reorganising the HSE. 

"I believe and the chief executive [Bernard Gloster] believes we need a slimmer centre,” he said.

“What we don’t want to do is simply hire more and more managers across the country and in some cases, that does mean making roles redundant. This was one of those. 

"Is it possible there will be more during a big reorganisation like this.”

Mr Sullivan first joined the HSE in 2017 as deputy director general, before being promoted to chief strategy officer in 2022.

Mr Gloster said the agreement with Mr Sullivan came after a “mediation process that provides for confidentiality”. 

He said the deal was “approved at all appropriate levels including the Department of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform”, and is appropriate and compliant “in every respect”.

Dean Sullivan is to get a redundancy package of almost €400,000. Picture: Sam Boal

“The HSE has robust legal advice that this agreement is confidential,” Mr Gloster said.

“It would not be possible for the HSE as a public body to act in a manner that would be contrary to the legal standing of the agreement.”

“The HSE is clear that such agreements are not only allowable but necessary and must be at our disposal into the future. 

"On this occasion we have the agreement of our former employee to waive the confidentiality in respect of the amount and only the amount, not on any other aspect of the content.”

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said the package was “completely in line” with State rules.

“This is the outcome of a legal process and I think the important thing is to recognise that there was a legal component to all of this, that was the outcome of a mediation process that was chaired by a senior counsel and then all of the other severance elements of it are in line with the relevant HR policy for our public service,” Mr Donohoe said.

“What we are doing is that information is being made publicly available so that there is transparency in terms of how the matter concluded.”