The Irish Daily Mail frontpage today is scandalising the "fat cat salaries" of the HSE which it says are often up to three times the equivalent in the UK and Germany. Doesn't mention France or Spain or Denmark, however.

Some jobs on www.publicjobs.ie below

A consultant forensic psychiatrist gets the equivalent of €113k in the UK and €240k here .. for comparable positions ...

(could we not source a few lads from Poland, India, China etc. ?)

This all happening when the HSE is going on a slashing spree to the tune of 1.1billion euros according to the Mail ..

The PR expenses in recent years are just as scandalous - E51million spent over the last two years, plus an amazing 16K a month for Brendan Drumm's personal PR merchant:

Quote :

The figures were released as it emerged the deficit faced by the HSE this year could be more than €1.1 billion.

The documents released to the Irish Examiner under the Freedom of
Information Act show Prof Drumm’s "inner cabinet" were among the
biggest winners from the massive pay-outs.

In the first six months of last year, the HSE paid €83,895 to Prof
Drumm’s personal communications adviser Karl Anderson. Mr Anderson is
paid a monthly rate of more than €16,000. Contracted by the HSE for 183
days’ work, Mr Anderson has earned in excess of €600,000 since 2005.

Another adviser to Prof Drumm, Maureen Lynott, was paid a total of
€126,608 in the first six months of 2008. Ms Lynott, a former
chairwoman of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, earned €317,005 in
2007 and €264,638 in 2006 for her services, bringing her total to well
over €700,000 since 2006.

Human resources consultant Maureen McGrath was paid €147,828 for
the first six months of 2008. This despite the fact that the HSE
already has a national director of human resources, Seán McGrath.

The list of external consultants used by the HSE shows a large
number are hired for HR consultancy purposes. In 2006 and 2007, Ms
McGrath’s company was paid €590,976 for its services.

Public relations firms have also benefited from being on the HSE books.
In 2007, Wilson Hartnell public relations firm was paid €481,812 for
"public relations support" to the HSE.

In the same year, Janet Hughes was paid in the region of €17,500 for her public relations advice.

Phil Flynn, the former banker and trade union leader, who was
investigated as part of the Garda inquiry into IRA money-laundering as
a result of the Northern Bank robbery in 2005, is also on the books of
the HSE.

In 2008, Mr Flynn was paid €52,126 for mediation and arbitration
services in negotiations between the HSE and the public service trade
union, IMPACT.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/idojcwmhcw/

And an example of the Opportunity Cost...

Quote :

The HSE's radical cost-cutting proposals will see massive decreases in
allowances and overtime for junior doctors in particular. Prof Drumm
said the HSE had planned for €500m in savings but the situation had
worsened dramatically.
The HSE confirmed that the allocations to
the main five hospitals in Dublin, St James's, Beaumont, St Vincent's,
the Mater and Tallaght, have been hit by reductions ranging from a
€4.6m to €7.1m.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/hse-runs-up-euro51m-bill-on-spin-doctors-1651118.html

Also the knock-on effect on vital services in terms of numbers and waiting times:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/83646m-cutbacks-force-childrens-hospital-to-delay-operations-1651938.html

toxic avenger wrote:

The PR expenses in recent years are just as scandalous - E51million spent over the last two years, plus an amazing 16K a month for Brendan Drumm's personal PR merchant:

Quote :

The figures were released as it emerged the deficit faced by the HSE this year could be more than €1.1 billion.

The documents released to the Irish Examiner under the Freedom of
Information Act show Prof Drumm’s "inner cabinet" were among the
biggest winners from the massive pay-outs.

In the first six months of last year, the HSE paid €83,895 to Prof
Drumm’s personal communications adviser Karl Anderson. Mr Anderson is
paid a monthly rate of more than €16,000. Contracted by the HSE for 183
days’ work, Mr Anderson has earned in excess of €600,000 since 2005.

Another adviser to Prof Drumm, Maureen Lynott, was paid a total of
€126,608 in the first six months of 2008. Ms Lynott, a former
chairwoman of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, earned €317,005 in
2007 and €264,638 in 2006 for her services, bringing her total to well
over €700,000 since 2006.

Human resources consultant Maureen McGrath was paid €147,828 for
the first six months of 2008. This despite the fact that the HSE
already has a national director of human resources, Seán McGrath.

The list of external consultants used by the HSE shows a large
number are hired for HR consultancy purposes. In 2006 and 2007, Ms
McGrath’s company was paid €590,976 for its services.

Public relations firms have also benefited from being on the HSE books.
In 2007, Wilson Hartnell public relations firm was paid €481,812 for
"public relations support" to the HSE.

In the same year, Janet Hughes was paid in the region of €17,500 for her public relations advice.

Phil Flynn, the former banker and trade union leader, who was
investigated as part of the Garda inquiry into IRA money-laundering as
a result of the Northern Bank robbery in 2005, is also on the books of
the HSE.

In 2008, Mr Flynn was paid €52,126 for mediation and arbitration
services in negotiations between the HSE and the public service trade
union, IMPACT.

In fairness, the public service unions, the nurses union chief among them, have long since turned the process of change from a health service focused on the welfare of staff to one focused on patients, into a PR battle. If spending a few million helps win the day with public support, I think it will have been money well spent.

How much have the nurses union spent on PR then tonys ?

cactus flower wrote:

How much have the nurses union spent on PR then tonys ?

They don't need to, they have a very simple message & the media hang on their every word, most especially if it embarrasses the Government, good for newspapers, good for radio & good for TV.