Micheál Martin believes the Secretary General of the Department of Health deserves to be paid more than any other Government department boss - or even the Taoiseach.
The Taoiseach was speaking after new Health Sec Gen, Robert Watt, took up his role last week on a salary with a massive €80,000 pay rise - even though he is waiving it for now.
The new €292,000 salary for Mr Watt will stand for anyone who comes after him and Mr Martin believes this is right and proper.
It is more than any other Secretary General gets paid and is 33% more than the Taoiseach’s salary of just over €200,000, although Mr Martin does not get this either,. as he has waived salary increases too.
Mr Martin was speaking at an Oireachtas committee meeting looking at spending in his department in Leinster House on Tuesday afternoon.
He told Aontú TD, Peadar Tóibín: “My position is this, and having been a former Minister for Health, I think the increase is appropriate to the position.
“I think it is appropriate to the position and long after the incumbent leaves the position I think the Secretary General should get higher remuneration than the heads of other government departments.
“It is an extraordinary… it is a department that is way above any other government department, and I served in four other government departments.”
