Taoiseach: 'Merit' to €292k salary of health department's boss Robert Watt

Micheál Martin said Mr Watt had taken over in the middle of a global pandemic when the Government had "allocated huge sums of money to health"

Robert Watt took over his position in the department, which had been negotiated with the increased salary to a total of €292,000, last April after serving on an interim basis since January. 

There is merit in paying the head of the Department of Health more than other civil servants, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin was speaking at the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance, where he answered questions on a range of issues related to his Department.