The Department of Health has rejected claims that Minister for Health James Reilly has appointed a new “special advisor” at a cost of over €160,000 a year.

A spokesman for the department said new appointee, Lis Nixon was “not an advisor” and would not be advising the Minister.

Ms Nixon, who has over 10 years experience in change management and service improvement at Britain’s National Health Service, has been appointed to an executive position within the department’s Special Delivery Unit (SDU).

This unit was set up by the Minister to reduce waiting lists in public hospitals.

The spokesman said Ms Nixon had been brought in as a consultant when the department “couldn’t find anyone of sufficient experience and quality” to fill the role of director of performance improvement for unscheduled care.He said Ms Nixon will report directly to the SDU’s chief operating officer Tony O’Brien and be paid €41,000 per quarter, or €164,000 year

full report at source:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0419/breaking17.html

then we have this

The rising price of fuel means that one couple’s total spend on petrol for the year now equates to about four mortgage payments, writes JOANNE HUNT

IT’S AN EARLY start for Kiera Lambe and her husband Peter. Commuting from south Wicklow to Dublin each morning, a 64-mile round trip, the alarm clock goes off at 5.30am.“We’d love to have bought near where we grew up,” says Kiera, “but we couldn’t have afforded it. The boom brought us down here.”

Dropping their four-year-old daughter Seryn to creche en route, the pair battle traffic to get to Kiera’s work in Booterstown for 8am. Peter starts work in Dún Laoghaire half an hour later.

While a house in Rathdrum when they bought in 2005 was more affordable than in the suburbs of Sallynoggin or Dalkey from where they hail, what they didn’t expect was the rising cost of fuel.

Now with no prospect of work closer to home, punitive petrol prices and an increasingly expensive mortgage to pay, this young family is just one of thousands caught in a perfect commuter belt storm.With their second car permanently in the driveway because they can’t afford to run it, the couple’s work and family life now revolves around commuting as cheaply as possible.

full article at source:http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2012/0419/1224314920494.html?via=mr.

Comment:

How any “special advisor” can command this kind of salary is today’s Ireland and the country bankrupt .a minister can without as much as a blink award this salary is just sickening?

Minister for Health James Reilly is another leach milking the country for all he can get and a little help to one of his pals is ok too! The real world is a little different for most ordinary families. At €160,000 a year this “special advisor” has just won the lotto and will have no financial worries thanks to this p***k Reilly!

Meanwhile ordinary decent people are struggling to put petrol into their cars just to get to work .If you ever needed proof that the current arrogant corrupt government are just that, Reilly has shown us the two fingers once again.

Wake up Ireland  and get up off your knees!