HSE chief Paul Reid to leave post in early October

HSE chief executive Paul Reid is to step down from his position in October, two months earlier than previously indicated.

Mr Reid told staff on Monday he plans to finish as CEO on October 3rd, after which he will take a period of accrued leave.

HSE chief financial officer Stephen Mulvany is to take up the position of acting chief executive from the date of Mr Reid’s departure.

Mr Mulvany, whose interim appointment has been approved by the HSE chairman and board, will remain until the recruitment and appointment process for the chief executive role has been completed.

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In his email to staff, Mr Reid said the decision to leave “has been a really tough decision for me to make. I will truly miss leading the best workforce in the country”.

The process of selecting a new head of the health service is expected to begin next month, and could last three to six months, depending on whether the appointment made is internal or external.

At the time he announced his decision to leave last June, two years before his contract was due to run out, Mr Reid said he had “no immediate career plans”.

He said his decision was influenced by two key factors: “A desire to spend more time with his family who had made many sacrifices to support him, and a belief that the HSE was entering a new phase and that the appointment of a new leader was now timely,” a HSE statement read.

Mr Reid, a former senior civil servant and head of Fingal County Council, was appointed as chief executive of the HSE in 2019 after months of unsuccessful efforts to fill the post left by Tony O’Brien, who stepped down as director general of the organisation during the CervicalCheck controversy.

Mr Reid, who also worked with Eircom as well as in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, was hired on a salary of €370,136. With allowances of about €50,000, his total remuneration in 2020 was more than €420,000 and €411,777 in 2021.

His successor is expected to be offered a similar package.