Timeline of events...

1981 -

The SJOG private hospital is granted permission by the Department of Health to put its private employees into a public sector pension scheme on condition that SJOG pay double employer contributions for hospital staff and provide an annual report detailing these.

2013 -

The Government introduces a new scheme - the Single Public Service Pension Scheme (SPSPS). SJOG enters new hospital employees into it from this date. To ensure they do not lose out, SJOG secretly pays millions in for 14 top managers while lying to the HSE to say no such top-ups were being paid.

2016 -

An MoS investigation reveals the secret top-ups. HSE begins a special audit of SJOG.

2017 -

The audit is scathing of SJOG’s ‘lack of candour’ about the top-ups. It also questions the risks posed to State finances by private SJOG companies being in the public sector pension scheme without any oversight, as originally envisaged.

FEB 2019 -

The HSE tells

SJOG it can no longer put private hospital staff in the SPSPS. SJOG sets up a new private pension scheme for new hospital employees.

DECEMBER 2019 -

SJOG informs the HSE that since 2013 it has withheld €1.6m in employer contributions –– which it can no longer afford to repay. The news is greeted with incredulity and urgency at Government level.

OCTOBER 2022 -

Without any staff or unions ever being told of the issue, SJOG confirms that it has now repaid the money.