Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney has said she "couldn't justify having a bottomless pit" to pay the new head of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Commenting on Prof Brendan Drumm's decision not to accept the post, Ms Harney said that the HSE could not have offered more than the €1.5 million financial package agreed with him. Nor could it have given him guarantees on employing him after an eight-year period initially on offer, she said.
"He was an outstanding candidate, but even for an outstanding candidate in an important job, there were financial limits that could not be breached," Ms Harney said, speaking at University College Hospital, Galway yesterday, where she opened the new radiotherapy unit.
"I think the package on offer was a package that was appropriate to the job, but that wasn't enough for Mr Drumm unfortunately, and I very much regret that." There was no question of the HSE exceeding a package that constituted €500,000 a year in salary, and an additional €1 million for management consultancy services, she said. This was for a five-year term, with a possibility of renewing the term for a further three years.
"The issue broke down over what would happen after that eight-year period, and the HSE was not in a position to guarantee anybody a job after that period. It could not be done, notwithstanding the quality of the candidate and the importance of the job.
"It couldn't be justified, it wouldn't be fair to taxpayers, it wouldn't be fair to patients, it wouldn't be fair in the context of all the other demands on the health service and I very much regret it," Ms Harney said
The HSE had other candidates and the board was meeting yesterday. "It is important that we get a good person, the right person, and that we get that person as quickly as possible," and she wanted to have someone in the post by the autumn.
The Tánaiste said she had asked the HSE to put resources in place to carry out "thorough and robust" inspections of nursing homes, pending establishment of an independent inspectorate.
