CRC say they had HSE agreement for salary top ups

The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is insisting it came to an agreement with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2009 to allow for the top-up of some salaries.
Bosses at the CRC are appearing before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee over the top-ups scandal.
Brian Conlon, who resigned as Chief Executive this week is not attending. But former CEO Paul Kiely whose salary was topped-up is before the Committee.
Board Director at the CRC David Martin has insisted at the Committee that they came to an agreement four years ago to allow for the top-ups, quoting a letter written at the time.
“‘We undertake that the CRC – as a voluntary organisation – will itself fund the excess of salaries concerned as identified by the HSE with affect from the 1st of June 2010’ – and that’s what happened subsequently” he said.
“‘As and when the management posts fall to be replaced through retirement or resignation, the salary of the incoming replacement will be discussed and agreed with the HSE” he added.
Meanwhile the former chief executive of the CRC, Paul Kiely has refused to describe some of his salary as a ‘top up’.
He says his salary was paid in accordance with his contract.
“I was getting a salary from the Clinic that would appear to be in excess of what the HSE had ‘sanctioned’…because they wrote and said a more appropriate salary in 2009 was a figure that I was already in excess of” he said.