15 Jan 2014, 11:48
The Committee of Public Accounts will resume its hearings on top-up payments to hospital executives at its meeting tomorrow, Thursday, 16th January 2014.
Brian Conlan, former Chief Executive of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), will attend the Committee at 10.30 am, followed by Nicholas Jermyn, current Chief Executive of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG), at 12.00 noon. Both will be discussing the issue of salary top-up payments.
Chairman of the Committee John McGuinness said: “The Committee would like to get Mr Conlan’s insight into the operation of the Board of the CRC, in particular his knowledge of the salary top-ups which were in payment during his time on the Board. We would like to ascertain how often senior staff remuneration was reviewed and sanctioned by the Board and if any Board members ever expressed concern over certain salary packages or the fact that some were not within HSE sanctioned pay rates. Mr Conlan’s recruitment to the role of CEO of the CRC, his salary package and his resignation are also likely to feature at the meeting.
In relation to St Vincent’s Healthcare Group, among the issues we will be keen to raise with Mr Jermyn are: Why did Mr Jermyn initially refuse to provide the HSE and the PAC with details of the top-ups paid to senior staff members? Why did Mr Jermyn then decide to release the relevant information only hours before Christmas Eve? Why did the information initially provided to the HSE state that three senior managers were in receipt of privately funded top-ups when in fact it would appear to be seven senior managers? We would also like to know why Mr Jermyn insists that all payments are in keeping with HSE policy when the HSE insists that they are not and if he can inform the Committee as to the legal advice received by the Board which led it to believe that it was compliant with current public pay policy, who provided that advice, when it was sought and when it was received.”
This meeting will start in Committee Room 1 at 10am on Thursday, 16th January 2014.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
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Ciaran Brennan,
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Committee of Public Accounts Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Áine Collins
Gerald Nash,
Simon Harris,
Michael McCarthy,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross