Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In May of last year the Minister for Health requested that HIQA carry out an internal audit on all section 38 funding recipients to ensure similar unsanctioned payments were not being made in other locations. The HSE audit report concluded that there were 36 types of allowances being paid to 191 senior managers at an annual cost of €3.224 million. Some of the allowances were for clinical directors in compliance with salary scales as negotiated under the 2008 consultants agreements.

In some cases, private funding was used to top up approved rates of pay, and 13 agencies pay additional remuneration or benefits such as company cars, car expenses or pension contributions to a total of 34 managers, with a value of €912,472. The Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, issued correspondence which is very clear in indicating that salary scales must be strictly adhered to and in no circumstance should an employee receive remuneration in the nature of pay and allowances of any amount greater than the amount prescribed.

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