HSE early retirements cost €100m
Wednesday, 2 December 2009 15:56A rush of applicants for early retirement in the Health Service Executive has pushed up its costs, Minister for Health Mary Harney has told the Oireachtas Health committee.
Ms Harney said the pension lump sums, paid out to about 2,000 staff who retired in the first nine months of this year, cost €100m.
The Minister said the fact the Minister for Finance said that he could not guarantee that these lump sums would not be taxed next year had led to an increase in retirements.
Of the 2,143 who had left, 45 were doctors and dentists, 722 nurses, 141 managers and administration staff, 431 carers, probably working in community centres, 196 support staff and 110 were social care professionals.
Minister Harney said the moratorium on replacing staff did not apply to those with special expertise, adding that administration staff would not be replaced.
