Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Committee (PAC) has heard that the former chief executive of the Central Remedial Clinic, Paul Kiely, got a €473,336 pay-off when he retired last year – double the amount that was previously disclosed to the PAC, and all of it from charitable funds.
TDs have been told by Barry O’Brien from the HSE that an investigation by the interim administrator at the clinic, John Cregan, has found that €700,000 was taken from the charitable fund, Friends and Supporters of the CRC, to pay the retirement sum.
O’Brien also told the committee that the HSE “may seek the assistance of An Garda Siochána” over matters that have arisen out of the examination of the CRC’s draft accounts.
It has also been disclosed that the HSE is examining the use of a credit card by CRC Medical Devices Ltd which, the committee heard, was used for €14,000 worth of travel and €3,900 worth of entertainment in 2012, according to ex-CRC CEO Brian Conlan.
Kiely’s retirement money consisted of €200,000 tax-free lump-sum and a €273,336 taxable payment, in total amounting to €473,336.
In addition, €268,689 was paid to Mercers to ensure pension and lump sum benefits would not be less than if he had continued to remain on until November 2016.
This meant a total of €742,025 was paid out in respect of Kiely’s pension and pay-off.
Kiely told the committee in December that he received a lump-sum pay off of €200,000 and would be getting an annual pension of €98,000, but did not disclose the €273,336 taxable payment.
€700k charity payment
To fund the pay-off a total of €700,000 was paid into CRC’s central fund from the its Friend and Supporters charity fund in two tranches, €450,000 and €250,000.
Cregan told the HSE that the money could not have been paid to Kiely if it were not for the “donation” from the Friends and Supporters fund.
Former CRC chief executive Brian Conlan giving evidence to the PAC today
This was on top of €3 million that had been paid from the charity fund as a loan to top-up the CRC pension pot. O’Brien said that officials would be looking to reverse the transactions.
“This is the first I have seen of any of this,” Kiely’s predecessor, Brian Conlan, has told the Committee today, adding: “I was not at any board meeting that signed off on this agreement, not part of any confidentiality agreement that was signed.”
Independent TD Shane Ross (below) has told Conlan he does not believe him, but Conlan, who was on the CRC audit committee, insisted “this is completely new to me” and that he is “as surprised as anybody here today”.
The committee has heard the Kiely pay-off was signed off at a special board meeting in February 2013 and that the accounts were signed off in May of last year.
However, the €700,000 was paid in June of 2013. Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell said there are “a lot of coincidences there”.
O’Donnell also commented that it “stretches credibility” that Conlan, as CEO, was not aware of these payments. He said the committee has “no option” but to bring in Kiely for further evidence.
‘Shameful’
Committee chair John McGuinness described the revelations as “shameful” and said that former CRC chairman Jim Nugent and official David Martin should be brought back before the PAC.
Fine Gael deputy John Deasy suggested that other board members should come in as well, because the three of them “may not have given us the full information” and there may be other individuals who “may not be happy about that”.
The committee agreed that others who were at the special board meeting, which sanctioned the Kiely pay-off, should be brought before it.
“I thought the limits of my shock had been reached at the last meeting,” Labour TD Robert Dowds said.
O’Brien has told the committee that a new CEO will be appointed to the CRC in the coming months with the position to be filled in the “shortest possible time” with the Public Appointments Service expected to be advertising the post in “next week to two”.
HSE director general Tony O’Brien is to work with the interim administrator on appointing a new board and how to do that “correctly”.
The CEO St Vincent’s Healthcare Group, Nicholas Jermyn, will appear later today to discuss the issue of executive pay.
The hearings are exploring the issue of top-up payments to senior staff in some health bodies, following revelations last December about salaries of some senior executives being topped-up from charitable or other funds including at the CRC.
- additional reporting from Michelle Hennessy
You can watch proceedings live in the above stream.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
R.I.P.
When Bowies creative output started to suffer in the 80′s, Prince came in and filled that void magnificently. I always viewed Prince in similar terms to Bowie in the way they challenged the mainstream constantly with their music and image. One crumb of comfort can be taken from his premature demise and that is the thousands of unreleased material he wrote over the years and which fans can look foward to hearing in the future.
On probably his worst album ‘Never Let Me Down’, Bowie sang the line : “The Little Red Corvette has passed me by” …
‘Least greatest’ album I think is more appropriate :)
What is the obsession with celebrities when they pass away?We should be mourning scientists,Doctors,professors and not musicians.A note in a newspaper is worthy,but countless stories one after the other is not on.We are taught to worship these people now and obsess.Sad day man passess away,hey over it.it Sums up society today,willfully ignorant and brainwashed by tv and radio.
You didnt have to pay attention to the article’s on him you know, you have a choice here Lee.
Says Lee Oswald
Yes but you know I have to give my 2 cents here…if I don’t highlight the pure ignorance and lack of common sense who else will?
What’s up Elma?
Musicians of this magnitutde are mourned simply because music means so very much to people; we grow with it, it grows with us, it relieves our stress, it gives us emotional release and it has very positive influences on our energy, body and brain. Prince was a musical genius, many people are upset, obviously not you Lee but thats okay. Maybe you’ve never heard music before
The reason for this is that more people would find Purple Rain to be more emotional and uplifting than Panck’s Constant.
Says the lad called after a dead Assassin????
I think if you did a wee bit of research you would realise I was not an assassin.I had a poor shot ,I could not off pulled of the assassination due to this fact.But you believe the Warren commission,which in itself was flawed from the day it was set up.
Back and to the left, back and to the left.
I sense a slight bit of sarcasm there Elma…The fact is shots could not be done in the time scale suggested.
I’m actually with you on this one tbh.
Thank you Elma,I’m not saying I was not involved.But I certainly did not act alone.I never got the call…
Is this worthy of a separate news story?
Maybe not, but the people who own the website think so, and it’s a free world.
Using your thumbs as a guide, it would appear about 80% thinkn yes it is.
“One day of seven we’ll die”
Gotta get those clicks
Goodnight sweet Prince
RTE government and cronie buddies would not represent the independent freedom loving Prince. They might like his music but they certainly wouldn’t be down with his stances on position on certain things. Might I suggest that PrimeTime do a piece on Chemtrails a subject which Prince was vocal about ???
Maybe they could have played ” something in the water does not compute”…
I agree Mr mango…but as you can see from all the red thumbs you are gettingn most people like to be spoon Fed from the likes of rte news.They hold comfort in their Irish independent,rte news and mor ing Ireland lol.Over educated but lack independent thought and the will to question authority.
Mass media educated sheeple, fleeced of free thought, and totally oblivious to the wool being pulled down over their eyes.
Good work RTE. good work
Thats cool,Prime Time taking a leaf outta Newsnight’s book with a lighter credits and a nice music tribute. Too many rte shows are too stiff and serious
Prince, like most of us like minded, would spit on Rte and it’s lie through omission policies. Prime time is a gate keeper like the war on drugs. They proclaim to be tackling the problem when they really are helping guide the outrage which is the brainwashed masses goto first emotion in reaction to the corruption of their overlords. But even Prince’s soul can’t replace the ones Rte & it’s minions already sold to the devil.!
Surprised anyone in RTE has enough soul to appreciate Prince. Disturbing to realise I have something in common with the government droids in Donnybrook
I wonder did David McCullogh manage to stay awake to hear the tune?
They should have faded the music in rather than just blasting it straight out. It’s a nice sentiment all the same.
Pity RTE is shite for the vast majority of the time.
Last weekthe bodies of two more young males were fished out of Galway Bay and Leo the Loo Head has decided he can afford to tske €14m from mental health.There are plenty more tragedies closer to home Prime Time could theme song, maybe “Suicide is Painless”.but of course it’s not, neither is is victimless.
Prince was a fan of Dick Gregory. He had strong opinions about society and politics and would not have been a fan of state owned and government controlled propaganda tv.
And I’m sure he would appreciate you hijacking the fact they played his music to commemorate his death as an excuse to have a rant. Not.
have your say