Hospital chiefs refuse to provide details on salaries
A number of hospitals have stonewalled calls from the state’s health chiefs to confirm whether they comply with public pay scale policies.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny revealed those who refused to share information on whether they have breached salary caps with the Health Service Executive (HSE) will be hauled before Government to explain.
“Let me assure you that a report is now being prepared to be presented to the minister for health and that those hospitals that did not respond are now going to be called in to account for their failure to respond,” Mr Kenny said.
The country’s 44 hospitals and health agencies had until Tuesday night to provide the HSE with information on wages after it emerged that a senior manager at Tallaght Hospital was paid an additional €150,000 euro in payments since 2005.
Mr Kenny said the Government is determined to sort out the issue of unauthorised payments and that Health Minister James Reilly is due to receive a report from the HSE.
“That report will be published on the departmental website, discussed in the Dail and the Government will take action to see that where unauthorised and unapproved non-exchequer top-ups were given that were clearly in breach of public pay policy will end,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Master of the National Maternity Hospital has denied allegations that she has been paid a 'top-up' to her salary.
Dr Rhona Mahony issued a statement today saying that the extra €45,000 she was paid – on top of her salary – came from caring for private patients.
"As a Consultant Obstetrician my contract allows me to provide clinical care to private patients, as is the case with all Consultants in the Irish health service," she said, saying such services were "fundamental to the health service".
"The €45,000 paid to me, and labelled by the media as a ‘top-up’, is in respect of professional fees ... I have never received any additional remuneration from the health service or any other source, including fundraising and charitable donations."
"I have been personally vilified over the last few days," she added.
The hospital board issued a statement at the same time and through the same agency saying it fully endorsed Dr Mahony's statement, "in view of the unfounded and unwarranted personal attacks in the media."
