Bonner to head Tallaght Hospital report group

Mr Kevin Bonner, the former secretary general of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is expected to be named …

Mr Kevin Bonner, the former secretary general of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is expected to be named today as chairman of the new three-strong team appointed to implement the Deloitte & Touche report into Tallaght Hospital.

Mr Bonner, now a management consultant, will be joined by another figure to be nominated by the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, and by a nominee of the hospital. The names of the other two people will be formally announced by the Minister today.

It is understood that the Cabinet yesterday gave Mr Cowen approval for the appointment of the new team. In the wake of the Deloitte & Touche report last month, the Minister and the hospital agreed in principal a mechanism to oversee the implementation of the recommendations. The new group will be assisted by the Deloitte & Touche management consultants who produced the report.

This report revealed that Tallaght Hospital was facing a financial crisis and had ineffective management systems.