Greens’ Martin raised concerns over health secretary-general’s pay hike

GREEN Party deputy leader Catherine Martin raised concerns at Cabinet about the proposed €292,000 salary for the new Department of Health secretary-general.

Ms Martin asked why ministers were not made aware of plans to increase the salary of the new secretary-general by €81,000 a year. The Culture Minister said the increased pay was substantial and should have been discussed.

Sources at the meeting said Ms Martin’s concerns were acknowledged but she was not given an explanation as to why the pay increase was not brought before Cabinet. Ms Martin’s spokesperson said the minister does not comment on confidential Cabinet matters.

Last week, the Cabinet was told Department of Public Expenditure and Reform secretary-general Robert Watt will take over the health role on an interim basis. Mr Watt will remain on his current salary of €211,000 while a recruitment process takes place.

However, it is understood Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin are eager for him to take on the role full-time. There has been disquiet raised privately by ministers and senior Government figures over the proposed new salary for the position.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair Brian Stanley previously said he will seek to review the salary for the next Department of Health secretary general. He said he will be asking committee members to consider the issue as part of their programme of work for the coming Dáil term.

“At a time when hundreds of workers are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and student nurses are being given a paltry €100 per week, this huge increase in salary for a departmental secretary-general is in poor taste,” Mr Stanley said.

“We need to understand where this salary fits in with the public pay scale guidelines and whether it satisfies the Public Service Pay Commission,” he added.

The PAC chair’s intervention follows a call from Independent TD Matt Shanahan for the Dáil spending watchdog to consider the matter. Mr Shanahan also wrote to the Comptroller and Auditor General asking it to investigate the new salary.

The Social Democrats have raised concerns over whether new rules for Oireachtas committees would allow PAC to investigate the issue.