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Paul Reid to quit as HSE boss in December to spend more time with family

Reid said he believes the HSE is entering a new phase and that the appointment of a new leader is now timely.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Jun 2022

THE HSE HAS confirmed that CEO Paul Reid will step down from his position later this year.

In a statement, the health service said Reid had agreed with the chairman that he will step down in December 2022, facilitating a period to advance the process of selecting a successor. He said today that he has no immediate career plan.

Reid was appointed in 2019 by then Health Minister Simon Harris and was due to hold the position for five years. 

In a message to staff today Reid said that he was making the decision with a heavy heart, and that it was the hardest decision he had ever made in relation to his own career.

“Having previously worked in the private, not for profit, central and local government sectors, working in the HSE has been by far the greatest period in my career,” he said.

“It has been truly rewarding leading an organisation whose staff come to work every day to make people’s lives better.

“No organisation will ever match the commitment, dedication and relentless willingness to go beyond the call of duty that I have witnessed as we battled multiple waves of Covid, a criminal cyber attack while driving a significant reform agenda. This has been truly inspirational for me to experience.”

He said his decision was influenced by two key factors: A desire to spend more time with his family who had made many sacrifices to support him, and a belief that the HSE was entering a new phase and that the appointment of a new leader was now timely.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly paid tribute to Reid following the announcement, stating that he had provided “exemplary leadership to the HSE”. 

“He has led Ireland’s health service through some of its most difficult days and has done so with dedication and professionalism,” he said.

“Throughout the pandemic, Paul played a critical role in leading Ireland’s response to the greatest health emergency of our times.

“He leaves behind him an organisation much enhanced for his time as Chief Executive and one that is already making real progress in implementing reform and improvement across many aspects of healthcare provision.

“I want to wish Paul all the best for the time ahead and to thank him and his family for the many sacrifices they have made over the last three years to allow him to dedicate himself to the role of CEO.”

‘Wholeheartedly thank the CEO’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in a statement that he would like to “wholeheartedly thank the CEO of the HSE Paul Reid for his work over the past numbers of years, in particular for his extraordinary leadership shown during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“The HSE, through Paul, and its employees, led from the front on behalf of the country during a once-in-a-century pandemic, and demonstrated the value and importance of a national delivery agency in public health.

“Through acute hospital services, community services, test and tracing, and a world-leading vaccination programme, the HSE played a crucial role in Ireland’s battle against Covid,” he said.

“I know from personal experience in my dealings with Paul throughout the pandemic, that he was available seven-days-a-week, almost 24/7.

“No call was too late at night or too early in the morning. He gave total commitment, along with his teams. I understand fully why Paul has decided to step down later this year to spend more time with his family after an extraordinary demanding period. I wish him all the very best in the future,” he added.

The Taoiseach said he had spoken to Reid this morning about his decision and the HSE boss also spoke to the health minister. Martin told reporters today that Reid was “very clear” that he had been reflecting on the pressures of the job. 

Martin said Reid is not taking up another job elsewhere and he “just wants to spend more time with his family. 

He said “people are entitled to make personal decisions” with respect to their lives and careers.

“I’ve had a very good relationship with Paul,” he added, stating that throughout the pandemic, Reid was available “almost 24/7″. 

He commended his leadership of the HSE “through an extraordinary number of years” such as the “unprecedented pandemic”.

“I think he led from the front with his team,” he said, adding that he “guided” the nation through in terms of the delivery of acute services as well as with the testing and tracing system and vaccination programme.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane has also wished Reid well for the future, stating that his is a big decision for him personally.

“As we look forward, our health services need strong, decisive leadership primarily from the Minister for Health supported by the Department of Health and the HSE.

“Our health service needs to be transformed in the next decade to deliver better healthcare for patients. We need to create an Irish National Health Service that provides care on the basis of need, with tackling high waiting lists and recruitment and retention of staff the major priorities,” he said.

Those in Government circles have privately expressed shock at the announcement today, with some stating it is “strange”, but most said they understood the decision stating that Reid had worked 18 hour days over the last two years during the pandemic. 

Sources have said they don’t think the CEO stepping down has anything to do with internal tensions between the Department of Health and the HSE. 

However, there is an acknowledgement of the mass exodus from some of the top jobs in the health service, with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and his deputy Dr Ronan Glynn both resigning, in addition to Anne O’Connor, the chief operating officer of the HSE, who has left for a job with the private health insurance company, VHI.

Navan Hospital row

Yesterday Reid defended plans by the HSE to downgrade the Emergency Department (ED) at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, Co Meath.

Under the plan the ED at the hospital is to be converted to a 24-hour medical assessment unit. Patients attending this new unit would need a GP referral and critically ill patients would be diverted away from Navan to other hospitals such as Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda.

The move has been criticised by clinicians and several politicians, including the Minister for Health, who said he was not satisfied with the plan and had instructed the HSE not to proceed.

Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week yesterday, Reid said the HSE was pressing ahead with the plan despite the minister’s instruction.

He acknowledged the minister’s concerns and said they will be addressed over the coming weeks, but “ultimately we have to do this” because of patient safety.

“People in the Navan and Meath area are really at risk of poorer health outcomes and indeed death if we don’t address these actions,” he said.

With additional reporting from Christina Finn

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127 Comments
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    Mute Laura Maguire
    Favourite Laura Maguire
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:12 PM

    What a tool. Sentence should be increased for the audacity to appeal avd wasting the courts time.

    985
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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:27 PM

    @Laura Maguire: Absolutely agree, except tool isn’t a strong enough term for him. But yes I understand TheJournal won’t allow stronger terms be used.

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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Apr 1st 2022, 2:05 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: and you will be blocked. Next the journal is going to say that he is a good father and son and a law abiding citizen with 300 convections.

    137
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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:14 PM

    Has a cheek even appealing the “severity” of the sentence. Could have been double that and still not excessive imo

    470
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    Mute Derek Moean
    Favourite Derek Moean
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:31 PM

    Should have been given 3 life sentences. For murder

    444
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    Mute john smith iv
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:52 PM

    So who advised him that he had a chance on appeal here?

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    Mute David F. Dwyer
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    Apr 1st 2022, 8:06 PM

    @john smith iv: A lawyer who saw a nice fat brief for something that was doomed anyway.

    38
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    Mute Richard Ahern
    Favourite Richard Ahern
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:36 PM

    That’s our “justice” system for you!; costly, inefficient, out of touch with reality, mystifying, encouraging thugs/thieves to continue with their life of crime until they hit crime number 140 or 180. Ineffective & pointless in the extreme.

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:30 PM

    @Richard Ahern: It is impossible to have a fully efficient justice system in any jurisdiction due to the nature of the human animal. Punitive action by the state against criminals doesn’t ‘reform’ criminals. It makes them hate the state and society more. It’s always been that way and likely always will. It is impossible to have a crime free society. Always was and always will be. The justice system can only punish transgressors. It is not capable of bringing about the personal change necessary to reform these transgressors. I would say that in the majority of cases, such reform isn’t possible and will not occur. I think a lot of law pays too much attention to the rights of defendants and too scant attention to the rights of victims and an more equitable balance needs to be struck thereabout. Criminality is an integral part of any and all societies that pivot around the acquisition of wealth and are primed by the unequal distribution of wealth. There will never be any country with a perfect justice system, as there will never be a crime-free society in any country of the world. A lot of crime is committed by corporations and businesses, so crime is interwoven into the fabric of our societies. If we wish to reduce crimes, we need to legislate for all of them. For example, why are cars made that can travel in excess of 150 kph? How is that safe, or necessary, on public roads?

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    Mute Richard Ahern
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:02 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: Antaine, thanks for your detailed, well thought-out, comments. However, as you mentioned, the thugs have far too much lenience & money thrown at them and the damaged victim is entitled to f. all. As I said earlier, the system is inefficient, useless, expensive and to hell with the victims.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:21 PM

    @Richard Ahern: If it is as you say surely his appeal would have been granted?

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Apr 1st 2022, 7:04 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: high enough consequences will deter most folk, if consequences are low as it is now it’s deterring no one

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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:39 PM

    The level of trust we put in others when we get into a car and drive on the roads is massive. The Rules of the road is what this trust is based on. When someone completely ignores them and drives at totally ridiculous speeds in a reckless manner whilst recording them (to show how “mad” he is in his super cool car to his friends) then disaster can and did happen. Three people are dead because of his attempt to show off. A lifetime ban from driving and a minimum sentence of 20yrs should have been his punishment. The idi0t got off lightly and he still isn’t happy with that….

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Apr 1st 2022, 2:46 PM

    I think anyone who kills someone while driving while doing something they shouldn’t be [drinking, being over the limit, being on drugs, no insurance or no licence or tax, excessive speed, texting or using a mobile phone, whatever it is] should automatically get 25 years minimum, no remission or parole. The relatives of the deceased get a life sentence. So should the person[s] who caused the death of an innocent road user/pedestrian. Driving under the influence or in an illegal or dangerous manner should be regarded as intent, since ALL drivers know the rules of the road, whether they keep to them or not.

    94
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    Mute Shane Terry
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:06 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: 25 years minimum for No Tax ? Do you work for Revenue.? or the Green Party? Or are you just a keen cyclist ?

    46
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    Mute OnlyHereForTheComments
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:09 PM

    @Shane Terry: I admire the absolute olympic-standard leap that you’re making to shoehorn a negative comment about cyclists into a story about a car driver that killed three people.

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    Mute Tom Halpin
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    Apr 1st 2022, 4:01 PM

    @OnlyHereForTheComments:
    25 years for o taxand you have the gall to criticise someoneelsefortheirreply

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
    Favourite sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:24 PM

    @Tom Halpin: It actually says “25 years if you kill somebody while driving with no tax”, not 25 years for not having tax.

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    Mute E.J. Murray
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:58 PM

    He has some neck on him if he thinks the sentence is too harsh, the accident must have given his brain a severe rattling.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Apr 1st 2022, 4:20 PM

    The audacity of him to ask for a reduced sentence. The sentence wasn’t long enough.

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:33 PM

    Tell me the 20 years driving ban starts when he comes out? Please tell me.

    29
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    Mute Marty Quish
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:32 PM

    What an absolute C yoU Next Thursday.

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    Mute Rostyballs78
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:40 PM

    Neck on him like a jockeys bollix and a huge show of disrespect to the families of the victims.

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    Mute Alan Rothwell
    Favourite Alan Rothwell
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    Apr 1st 2022, 6:15 PM

    Why wouldn’t he appeal?! There needs to be a punishment for a BS appeal. Everyone will appeal because they know that the sentence won’t be increased, which it should if your appeal fails.

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    Mute J Flood
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    Apr 1st 2022, 9:07 PM

    9 years, a joke. Insult to the families.

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    Mute Jason Walsh
    Favourite Jason Walsh
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    Apr 1st 2022, 7:02 PM

    Will this chap have a life time driving ban when he eventually gets out. He shouldn’t touch the steering wheel of a car again even if he claims it’ll impact him working. He should be struggling to make ends meet everyday after his release, living on the breadline might teach him so humility he’s clearly lacking.

    14
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