New HSE chief expected to receive salary of just over €300k

The Government is expected to agree to pay a salary of just over €300,000 per year to the new head of the HSE.

The Sunday Business Post reported at the weekend that Paul Reid, the current chief executive of Fingal County Council, will take up the post following an open competition.

Mr Reid is a former senior official of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He was the Government's chief negotiator in the talks with trade unions that led to the Haddington Road public service agreement in 2013.

Mr Reid has been chief executive of Fingal County Council since 2014 and previously was head of corporate affairs with the overseas development agency Trócaire .

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Highly -placed Government sources said the position was expected to attract a salary of just over €300,000.

The Irish Times reported last December that the Government was prepared to increase the financial package for the post by about €50,000 to try attract a suitable candidate after an initial competition last year failed to find a successor to Tony O’Brien who stepped down early last May at the height of the CervicalCheck controversy .

Mr O’Brien was paid about €200,000 as HSE director general.

The Government had originally agreed to increase the salary for the new post of HSE chief executive to about €250,000 as part of the initial competition.

However, informed sources said, in the light of the failure to find a successful candidate on the previous occasion, the Government decided to look at the salary scale on offer again.

Last October, Mr Reid was appointed by the Government to serve on the implementation advisory council for the Sláintecare health reform programme.