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Angela Kerins Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

‘Kerins earning more than the Taoiseach or Barack Obama is shocking’

The Vice Chair of the Health Committee Ciara Conway TD said further questions need to be asked of the people who signed off €240,000 salary.

Updated at 9.10am

THE VICE CHAIR of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Ciara Conway TD said she thinks the salary of €240,000 for Rehab’s chief executive Angela Kerins in 2011 is “shocking”.

She said that Kerins is earning more than the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, a Supreme Court judge as well as the US President Barack Obama.

Conway said that questions need to be answered when you consider that over €50 million of public money is given to the Rehab Group.

Fundraising

Meanwhile, Anne Hanniffy, CEO of Fundraising Ireland who represents fundraisers in Ireland said that the salary was “out of kilter” with what other charity bosses were being paid.

Conway said the figure is “completely in variance to what is being paid in the public, I don’t know any public organisation with the exception of some semi-states, that have pay scales of that level”.

She said when that amount of money is being paid out of the public’s purse then it is right that you would want to know who is making those decisions, she said.

Hanniffy said that that transparency in the charity and fundraising sector is crucial, adding that the “lack of early disclosure causes speculation and erodes public trust –  that is no good for our sector, especially over the last few months,” she said.

She added that it has a major impact on public donations and is not fair to other charities that are disclosing their accounts and salaries.

Questions

Conway called on Angela Kerins to come in an speak to the Health Committee, but added the questions need to be answered by the Board and the remuneration committee who decide on the policy of salaries and sign off on agreed payments.

She said that the Rehab’s remuneration committee said they sought independent advice on salaries. Conway said she would like to see that advice.

She added that she was concerned about the impact of all this on service users, stating that she did no want to put them in jeopardy in any way shape or form.

Conway disagrees that it was a “witch hunt” against Kerins, stating that she couldn’t understand what the bug secrecy was about, adding that all organisation should be transparent about their salaries, even private companies, she said.

The Health Committee have written to the 600 or so section 39 charities that receive state funding, said Conway, stating that they want to make sure none are in breach of payment scales.

Hanniffy said that while this controversy rages on, it is important that people don’t forget the good work done by the staff of the Rehab group and the services they provide, stating that they do excellent work.

Cabinet

Speaking on his way into this morning’s Cabinet meeting at Government Buildings, Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin was critical of the amount of time it had taken for Kerins’ salary to be revealed.

“Everybody, every state organisation that is in receipt of public monies should be very transparent in the amount of pay it gives to all employees,” Howlin said.

“That should be a matter of course from now on. There should be no requirement for weeks of delay in these matters. I think that’s the way things are happening now.”

Additional reporting, Daragh Brophy.

First posted at 08.50am.

Read: Rehab’s Angela Kerins is paid €240000 a year>

Read: James Reilly: Rehab not subject to public pay policy>

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    Mute James Lyons
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    Jun 12th 2015, 5:53 PM

    I hope they like Viking beards

    47
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    Mute Bill Jones
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    Jun 12th 2015, 5:52 PM

    Anyone done extra work and know what the usual rate would be for a big name show like this?

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    Mute luke frankus
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    Jun 12th 2015, 5:59 PM

    I’ve done extra work before! But I tought it was called overtime?

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jun 12th 2015, 6:02 PM

    Think it’s about 90 quid a day Bill

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    Mute Ian Begley
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    Jun 13th 2015, 7:56 AM

    I’ve done Ripper Street about 2 years ago and worked as a delivery/rent boy lol. The rate was 90 euro but it was great Craic all the same.

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Jun 12th 2015, 6:49 PM

    Between Vikings and Jack the Ripper…Ireland’s a great little place really!!! :)

    33
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    Mute Mrs Shalakalananaka
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    Jun 12th 2015, 9:28 PM

    Isn’t Movie Extras the people who make you pay to hear about these jobs normally though?

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    Mute Akeo
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    Jun 12th 2015, 8:34 PM

    €70 a day, not €90

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Jun 12th 2015, 10:55 PM

    “…who have supplied extras for a number of other high-profile projects, including Fair City”. Scraping the barrel there lads

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    Mute Oran Treacy
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    Jun 12th 2015, 10:39 PM

    Anyone know if there is a certain age they are looking for and do they require an account with MovieExtras.ie? Thanks

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    Mute fuve
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    Jun 12th 2015, 8:04 PM

    It is going to be jammed in there ha ha

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    Mute Rosie Dolan
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    Jun 13th 2015, 7:48 PM

    I played mrs milmo in Jimmys hall by Ken Loach,Got on the DVD cover ,Great crack and met some brill people

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    Mute Ruta Gulbe-Svane
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    Jun 20th 2015, 11:12 AM

    They could have mentioned in the article that you will have to pay something like 80 euro for this, total waste of my time!!!!

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    Mute Ruta Gulbe-Svane
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    Jun 20th 2015, 11:08 AM

    They could mention in the article that you will have to pay for this, total waste of my time!!!

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    Mute AJ McLaughlin
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:33 PM

    Ripper Street is not a BBC production, the dropped it after season 2. It is now shown on Amazon. Seriously poor journalism.

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