The Secretary General of the Ministry of Health receives a salary increase of €81,000

His salary is now €294,920 per year.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Robert Watt, has received a salary increase of €81,000.

Speaking to JOE, the Department of Health confirmed that Watt was receiving a higher salary, but did not say when he received the raise.

“The secretary general has confirmed that he receives his full salary,” the ministry said.

“Other details are personal and private to the data subject.

“The Department has no further comment.”

Watt now earns a salary of €294,920 a year.

He had already been offered the raise in April 2021, but chose to forgo the raise.

The general secretary did so until “the economy recovers and unemployment drops”.

Watt said in April: ‘I was delighted to have been asked to take on the role of Acting Secretary General at the Department of Health earlier this year.

“An open TLAC competition has taken place and I am pleased to have been asked to take on this role on a permanent basis following the government meeting today.

“The proposed salary for this position is higher than my current salary.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to take such a raise given the difficult economic conditions the country is currently facing.

“It has always been my intention, if appointed to this position, to forgo this raise until the economy starts to recover and unemployment goes down.”

In November 2021, the Finance Committee issued a report stating that the manner in which the salary increase was carried out “damaged public confidence and eroded confidence in the system of public administration”.

“The lack of transparency and accountability involved and the impact on public trust is a matter of grave concern to the Committee,” the Finance Committee published.