HSE to investigate if charity money was used to top up salary at Central Remedial Clinic

The Health Service Executive has been asked to investigate whether funding from a charitable organisation linked to the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) was used to fund unauthorised payments to senior staff.

At the Dáil Public Accounts Committee yesterday, it emerged that a company called the Friends and Supporters of the Central Remedial Clinic had €14 million in funds at the end of 2011. This company, listed as a charity, also received National Lottery funding of almost €4 million between 2010 and 2011.

At the committee meeting, Deputy Shane Ross said it appeared that the [CRC] had access to large sums of money when it was cutting services.

Mr Ross questioned whether any of this funding had been used to fund a private allowance for the organisation’s chief executive. A HSE internal audit drawn up last year reported that the then chief executive of the clinic received a total package of €242,865.

Allowance of €19,016
This comprised a HSE-funded salary of €106,900, a CRC-funded salary of €116,949 and a separate CRC-funded allowance of €19,016. In addition, 25 per cent of the CRC salary was paid into a private pension fund.

Unauthorised private allowances are a breach of public sector pay policy.

In response, HSE director general Tony O’Brien said the figures seemed “strange” and agreed questions needed to be asked. He also pointed out that while in one year it received Lottery funding of €2 million, at the end of that year the charity had a supply of nearly the same amount. “Clearly, there are questions to be asked and answered over that,” he said.

The HSE chief pledged to investigate the issue on behalf of the committee, but added the HSE’s legal relationship was with the CRC and not with the parents and friends organisation. He added, however, he was “cautious to form an opinion” until there was greater clarity over whether these funds were available to the CRC and what the aims and objectives of the charitable body were.

The clinic – which is a national centre for the care, treatment and development of children and adults with physical disabilities – was unavailable for comment last night.

It did issue a statement to The Irish Times last week in relation to queries over pay for senior staff. It said figures contained in a HSE internal audit were “historic” and did not provide a current picture of staff remuneration at the Central Remedial Clinic.

'Private matter'
"The personal salary levels of individual staff within the Central Remedial Clinic is a matter reserved, under the Central Remedial Clinic's corporate governance, for the board of the CRC and as such is a private matter between the clinic and its staff," it said.

At the committee meeting yesterday, Labour TD Robert Dowds, a former employee of a school under the auspices of the CRC, said he was dismayed to learn that funds appeared to have been used to top-up senior salaries at a time of cut-backs to the organisation.