NEW DG: PAY TO CLIMB

THE new HSE director general who replaces Tony O’Brien will benefit from a significantly improved pay and conditions package, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Mr O’Brien will leave his post four weeks earlier than previously disclosed.

Due to an accumulation of leave Mr O’Brien will retire from the HSE’s top post at the end of June, or beginning of July, rather the publicly disclosed date of late July.

Mr O’Brien was appointed HSE director general after being interim director on a salary of €195,000 in 2012.

It was a significant reduction on the salary of his predecessor, Cathal McGee, who was on €320,000.

A Government source said: ‘This hasn’t been finalised by the Department of Public Expenditure yet, but we would imagine it will be higher.’

It is also possible that a foreign figure may win the job.

Health Minister Simon Harris said yesterday that the Government has already gone to international competition for senior posts in the HSE.

A spokesman for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said: ‘The matter is being progressed at the moment and both departments are working on it. No further comment will be made at this time.’

The Government is expected to advertise for Tony O’Brien’s successor either this week or the week after.