Limerick Bishop Brendan Leahy defends hospital chief after pay rise

BISHOP Brendan Leahy, who chairs St John’s Hospital has defended its chief executive after her salary was increased in breach of public pay scales.

The board of the city centre hospital signed off on a pay rise for Emer Martin, which brings her earnings to between €119,571 and €140,747-a-year.

However, according to the HSE, St John’s is in the H2 category when it comes to what it is allowed to pay staff.

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According to this scale, a chief executive of a hospital in this grade can earn between €99,829 and €106,886.

In a letter to hospital staff, seen by Limerick Live, Bishop Leahy, chairman of the board of St John’s, confirmed that the board decided unanimously to increase the salary of Ms Martin, the chief executive.

He pointed to a reduction in salary levels in voluntary hospitals like St John’s, which were imposed 10 years ago.

In turn, he wrote: this “has created significant ongoing issues for the voluntary hospital sector in terms of recruiting and retaining chief executives.”

He stressed that St John’s Hospital board, while increasing Ms Martin’s salary honoured its duties to ensure governance of the hospital is at the highest standards.

He also praised the impact Ms Martin has made since her appointment in 2019.

“She has, like all of you, worked tirelessly since she took up the post. In addition to budgetary challenges, our chief executive has led this hospital through a very challenging period operationally, including the Covid pandemic, which had a huge impact on St John’s, its patients and you, our staff,” he wrote.

Bishop Leahy also pointed to the five-year plan which Ms Martin has led.

“We are grateful to her for her selfless dedication to her post, as we are to all of you for your commitment to the delivery of exceptional healthcare at St John's.”