AN HSE worker has been paid more than €1.3m -- €200,000 a year -- while on leave since 2003.

It can also be revealed that another health service worker has been paid since 1996 -- and is now moving into the 14th year of salaried absence.

Nearly 90pc of paid leave in the health service is sickness-related, with the bill for all absences of more than six months now topping €11m.

It is unclear if those on leave have been replaced on a "temporary" basis. If they have, it would mean taxpayers footing the bill on the double.

The extraordinary case of one employee being paid €1,303,068 since 2003 is certain to renew focus on how the HSE manages itself.

The person has not been identified and their former level of responsibilities is not known. Neither is it clear whether they have been continuing to receive full pay in all that time.

Almost 150 HSE workers have been out on continuing leave for more than six months -- at an accrued cost of €11m. That is €1m more than the cost of a cervical cancer vaccination programme cancelled by Health Minister Mary Harney last year.

It is not clear what verification procedures the HSE has in place for illness, or the extent to which some employees may be on a reduced rate due to prolonged absence.

But the new figures reveal that 147 employees have been on paid leave for more than six months, including 127 on long-term sick leave.

The figures are the HSE's own, produced in a written reply to a TD's parliamentary question.

One worker has been on paid leave for 13 years -- or nearly one-third of the normal working life. And 41 staff are responsible for more than €8m of the €11m paid out since 1996.

Another staff member has received more than €400,000 since 2006. That's equivalent to €133,500 a year.

Astounding

Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr James Reilly said last night: "A pay bill of €11,229,668 for employees who are on leave from the health service is astounding.

"How is this remotely justifiable when a cervical cancer vaccination programme, which would cost less than this amount, has been cancelled for budgetary reasons?"

For so many health workers to be out sick for so long was "a glaring example of mismanagement and HR incompetence" in the health service, he said.

Dr Reilly said it was important to acknowledge that people did fall ill and needed to be looked after from time to time. But he added: "There will be some cases here where people are just receiving their due entitlements, but the numbers involved sound serious alarm bells.

"I would be interested to know if unresolved industrial relations issues are part of the problem here and the Minister for Health needs to provide an explanation."

Sean McGrath, national director of human resources for the HSE, said: "Employees have statutory and contractual entitlement to paid leave, covering a number of circumstances."

These included annual leave, maternity leave, sickness absence, health and safety leave, adoptive leave, and special leave with nominal pay for specific humanitarian purposes.

Irish Independent