Irish Medical Organisation chartered private aircraft on three occasions

Senior figures in the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) used chartered private aircraft on three occasions, it has emerged.

Highly placed sources close to the doctors’ trade union said the aircraft were used during trips to South Africa and Australia undertaken by the former general secretary George McNeice and other senior figures in the organisation.

A spokesman for the organisation said the trips and the aircraft charters were financed by “associated companies” and the money did not come from members’ funds.

The organisation did not provide details on the nature of the trips but said the matters would come under the scope of forthcoming investigations.

It is not known who else was on these trips to Australia and South Africa.

The organisation operates a number of “associated companies” in areas such as financial services and insurance.

Sources close to Mr McNeice confirmed he had used air taxis on a small number of occasions several years ago, “in the early 2000s”.

Sources said Mr McNeice did not request use of air taxis and that such air taxis were booked by the organisation.

Sources close to Mr McNeice said it was usual for travel arrangements for such trips to be put together by the organisation.

The medical body has been in turmoil since it emerged before Christmas that Mr McNeice had received a financial package worth over €9 million on his retirement from the organisation. It later emerged that under the terms of his contract Mr McNeice could have been entitled to receive a package of nearly €25 million but the actual payout was reduced.