Highly paid contractors working for the special delivery unit established by Minister for Health James Reilly are to be exempt from pay cuts to be introduced under the proposed new Croke Park agreement, the Department of Health has said.
The department said the pay reductions under the proposed deal would apply to public service employees, including those working in the special delivery unit.
“These measures are not directly relevant to arrangements that involve a contract for services.”
It said contractors working for the special delivery unit were not public servants and were not covered by the Croke Park agreement. It said changes could only be put in place to contracts on renewal.
Three-year contract
“Lis Nixon Associates is the company contracted to provide services required to fulfil the role specified for the director of performance improvement for unscheduled care within the special delivery unit. The contractor, Lis Nixon, is based in Dublin on a full-time basis. The services are provided under a three-year contract entered into with effect from March 26th, 2012. The contract is for an all-in price of €492,000 over the full duration of the contract, or €164,000 per annum. €492,000 is the total of all payments to be made to Ms Nixon under the contract and no additional salary payment is being made.
“Since February 2011, a total of €370,000, exclusive of VAT, has been paid to Value Based Solutions under two separate contracts for the services of Dr Martin Connor. The first contract covered a period of six months from June 2nd, 2011, to November 3rd, 2011, and was for a fixed price of €250,000. On November 29th, 2011, Value Based Solutions was engaged for a further three-year period, commencing in December 2011 and ending in December 2014. The total value of this contract is €480,000 to be paid in 12 payments of €40,000. Again, there is no additional salary payment separate to these contracts.”
Pay review
The Department of Health again yesterday said it planned to seek a pay review for the head of the HSE Tony O’Brien when he is offered a new contract as director general of the health authority in a few weeks.
The department’s statement came as healthcare staff and other frontline personnel in the public service again voiced their strong opposition to the proposed new Croke Park deal.
However, the executives of the Republic’s largest public service union, Impact, as well as the executive of the Public Service Executive Union, have urged their members to back the proposed agreement.
Separately the executive of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the executive of the Civil Public and Services Union, which represents lower-paid civil servants , urged members to reject the agreement.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said it would “up the ante” in the campaign of opposition if the Government persisted with its proposal but ruled out a “blue flu”.
