Chief executives in public hospitals being paid up to €247,000 a year

CHIEF EXECUTIVES in publicly funded hospitals are being paid salaries of up to €247,000 a year and in some cases have up to 37…

CHIEF EXECUTIVES in publicly funded hospitals are being paid salaries of up to €247,000 a year and in some cases have up to 37 days of annual leave a year, according to new figures set out by the Department of Health.

The figures given to Fine Gael TD Derek Keating show that the masters of the three maternity hospitals in Dublin – who are also medical consultants with a dual clinical and administrative role – have the highest salary levels.

The figures say that the master of the Coombe Women’s Hospital is paid €247,121 a year. This is made up of a consultant’s salary and an allowance of €53,009 to take account of additional responsibilities as chief executive.

The figures say the chief executive/master of the Rotunda Hospital receives €236,570 which includes payments for the dual clinical and chief executive role.

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The chief executive of many of the large Dublin voluntary hospitals such as St Vincent’s University Hospital, Beaumont, Tallaght and St James’s, receive an annual salary of just under €146,000.

The chief executive of Cork University Hospital also receives €145,959 as does the chief executive of Peamount Hospital in Dublin.

The report says the salary of the Peamount chief executive reflects “overall corporate responsibility which includes Peamount Hospital Incorporated, Peamount farm, Peamount business centre, Peamount Housing Ltd and Friends of Peamount Ltd”.

The chief executive of the Mater hospital in Dublin is paid €138,407 while the head of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital receives €110,808.

The Department of Health report says the chief executive of Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital receives €110,808, while at St Columcille’s in Loughlinstown, the pay rate is €78,889.

The chief executive/general manager at Waterford Regional Hospital receives €84,219 in addition to a €7,592 personal allowance.

The chief executive/general manager of South Tipperary acute hospital services receives €61,491 and an acting allowance of €7,690.

The figures also show that annual leave among chief executives/ general managers of publicly funded hospitals ranges from 31 days to 37 days a year.

The chief executive/general manager of the Cavan/Monaghan hospital group – who is paid on the scale of an assistant director of nursing at €62,534 – has 37 days of annual leave a year.

The report also says the chief executives of St Vincent’s and St John’s Hospital in Limerick have 35 days of annual leave each a year.

The chief executives/general managers of Beaumont Hospital and Naas General Hospital each have 34 days leave a year. At Tallaght, St James’s and the Mater in Dublin, the chief executives have 33 days holidays a year.

Martin Wall

Martin Wall

Martin Wall is the Public Policy Correspondent of The Irish Times.