Documents released by Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure show the Minister, Michael McGrath, was advised by senior officials that plans to pay the next Secretary General of the Department of Health a salary of €292,000 ($A447,600) could have knock-on implications.
The documents show the officials highlighted to Mr McGrath (pictured) that the rate agreed was considerably higher than the salaries paid to other Secretaries General in Government Departments.
In January, the Government announced that the then Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure, Robert Watt, was to move on an interim basis to become the top Public Servant in the Department of Health, pending an open competition.
Mr Watt remained on his existing salary.
However, the decision to increase the pay for the substantive post by more than €80,000 ($A122,600) has generated considerable controversy.
The decision is to be the subject of a special joint investigation by the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Public Expenditure and the Public Accounts Committee.
The newly-released documents show that the proposed rate for the Department of Health post evolved over a period of weeks last December.
A draft booklet for candidates, including the job specifications for the position, drawn up by the Department of Health on 9 December stated the salary of the Secretary General would be €211,742 ($A324,562).
However, six days later a second version of this booklet appeared with no specific salary mentioned and on Christmas Eve a further updated version of the information booklet was being prepared with the Minister’s recommendation of the €292,000 ($A447,600) salary.
The documents show that on 30 December Mr McGrath formally approved the booklet, which allowed for the position to be advertised in early January.
Dublin, 10 March 2021
