THE details of the financial settlement reached with Mr Brian Duncan, who is to retire next month as chief executive of the VHI, may be revealed to the Dail.

The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, said that part of the agreement between the board of the VHI and Mr Duncan was that the terms would be confidential. The Minister added he would appreciate if he was not pressed on the matter, although he knew there was an issue of accountability when public funds were involved.

"Rather than announcing it today, I would ask people to reflect on it. If you want to be briefed privately, I will do that. If you want to come back in and do it publicly, I will have to inform the people involved," he added.

Mr Noonan said the terms were "moderate", and he did not think they would lead to any outcry. It was always a personal tragedy when a man in such a position resigned, but he thought that it was in the best interests of the VHI.

The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Mrs Ma ire Geoghegan Quinn, said she had no personal interest in the settlement terms, but there was an issue of accountability.

"When one considers the number of chief executives whose heads seemed to have rolled in the past two years, it might be interesting also to get a figure for how much it has cost the taxpayer in generous settlement terms or even in moderate settlement terms," she said. "So, certainly, I will be pursuing it, Minister, with you, and asking you to come to the House to indicate what the settlement terms were."

Asked by Mrs Geoghegan Quinn why it was necessary to sanction a further 6 per cent increase in premiums, bringing to 30 per cent the level of increase over the past two years, the Minister said that after examining the demand for the increase, and having taken the advice of his officials, he thought it was in the best interests of the VHI and its subscribers not to intervene.

I would appreciate if I was not pressed on the matter, although I know there is an issue of accountability when public funds are involved.

The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, on the financial settlement reached between the board of VHI and its retiring chief executive, Mr Brian Duncan.

When one considers the number of chief executives whose heads seemed to have rolled in the past two years, it might be interesting also to get a figure for bow much it has cost the taxpayer in generous settlement terms or even in moderate settlement terms. So, certainly, I will be pursuing it, Minister, with you.

The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Mrs Maire Geoghegan Quinn.