Daniel McConnell: 'Dismay' at inflated salary for new Health official

Finance Committee members expressed their 'dismay' and 'concerns' as to the signal €292,000 salary for secretary-general at the Department of Health sends out to other civil servants

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath was in the hot seat, having to defend the extraordinary salary. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

€5,615 a week for a new secretary-general compared to €100 a week for student nurses.

That was the stark contrast made at the Oireachtas Finance Committee on Tuesday, which asked how it was justifiable to pay the new top official in the Department of Health a salary of €292,000.