Cabinet has confirmed the appointment of Robert Watt as the permanent new Secretary-General of the Department of Health.
However, his €81,000 salary increase is being waived “for the time being”.
BREAKING: Cabinet has confirmed the appointment of Robert Watt as new Secretary General of the Department of Health but his €81k salary increase is being waived “for the time being”. Unclear yet exactly how that will work
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) April 20, 2021
Mr Watt - who has previously served as the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - was set to become the highest-paid civil servant in Irish history.
His salary had been set at €292,000.
Ministers have approved the higher salary and there will likely be an option for Mr Watt to take the higher amount in the future.
There had been strong criticism to the proposed salary, including from opposition parties.
In a statement, Robert Watt says he does not think it is appropriate to take such an increase in pay, given the current difficult conditions the country faces.
He said: "It had always been my intention that, if I were to be appointed to this role, I would waive this increase until the economy begins to recover and unemployment falls."
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it's 'the strong view' of Cabinet that the role is crucial and should carry a similar salary to that of the HSE or a semi-state company.
He said ministers had agreed on the higher salary, but Mr Watt himself had agreed to waive it for now.
Former government minister Shane Ross yesterday said it appeared the Government was "somewhat alarmed by the public reaction" to the proposed salary, and may have been having second thoughts.
