IMO chief exec lump sum

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/imo-investigating-flights-taken-on-private-planes-by-mcneice-29166133.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-medical-organisation-chartered-private-aircraft-on-three-occasions-1.1344881

"A spokesman for the organisation said the trips and the aircraft charters were financed by “associated companies” and the money did not come from members’ funds." - WHAT ASSOCIATED COMPANIES?? AND HOW DID THESE ASSOCIATED COMPANIES GENERATE INCOME IF NOT FROM MEMBERS' FUNDS?? WAS THE PURPOSE OF THESE COMPANIES TO FUND PRIVATE TRAVEL FOR MCNEICE AND HIS CRONIES??

"Sources said Mr McNeice did not request use of air taxis and that such air taxis were booked by the organisation. "- IF MCNEICE DIDN'T REQUEST OR BOOK THESE 'AIR TAXIS' - WHO IN THE ORGANISATION DID???

AND WHO WERE THE OTHER SENIOR FIGURES THAT AVAILED OF THESE FLIGHTS?

DubDocX wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/imo-investigating-flights-taken-on-private-planes-by-mcneice-29166133.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-medical-organisation-chartered-private-aircraft-on-three-occasions-1.1344881

"A spokesman for the organisation said the trips and the aircraft charters were financed by “associated companies” and the money did not come from members’ funds." - WHAT ASSOCIATED COMPANIES?? AND HOW DID THESE ASSOCIATED COMPANIES GENERATE INCOME IF NOT FROM MEMBERS' FUNDS?? WAS THE PURPOSE OF THESE COMPANIES TO FUND PRIVATE TRAVEL FOR MCNEICE AND HIS CRONIES??

"Sources said Mr McNeice did not request use of air taxis and that such air taxis were booked by the organisation. "- IF MCNEICE DIDN'T REQUEST OR BOOK THESE 'AIR TAXIS' - WHO IN THE ORGANISATION DID???

AND WHO WERE THE OTHER SENIOR FIGURES THAT AVAILED OF THESE FLIGHTS?

It was an air taxi dontchano.
I was a bit puzzled by the "didn't come out of members funds" bit as well.
Where else would it come from.
The euphemisms to describe this stuff are keeping me entertained though.

his_dudeness wrote: »

Presumably the "organisations" (which i guess includes IMOFS) were set up as profit making endeavours, possibly those profits used to fund the air taxis?

good way to keep this sort of stuff off the IMO accounts....

Am absolutely astonished that Joe Barry did indeed sign-off on McNeice's contract. Being Chairperson of the/a Remuneration Committee of The IMO/any organisation, does not confer carte blanche. There are responsibilities. McKeown claiming the signing was a “procedural matter”, the ramifications of which were not appreciated is a whitewash. Who here would sign those figures? Who here signs documents they don't fully understand, for millions on behalf or thousands of members? Who here takes positions on Remuneration Committees without qualification/appreciation of its implications? Joe Barry has been on numerous committees, this guy is meticulous.

How Can Fergal Bowers Report on George McNeice in an impartial way when they are drinking buddies, I have seen them drinking together many times in O'Dwyers Pub in Kilmacud.

Typical RTE reporting. not Impartial at all in my opinion.

Is that what we are paying our TV licence fee for ?

The HSE want to lift the confidentiality restrictions around the €2.3m given to the IMO for myGP.ie but the IMO are refusing to.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/imo-wont-release-details-of-23m-spend-29185728.html

The IMO must be hiding something.

Members must insist that information is revealed immediately and not be fobbed off with this 'external audit', which will take months.

So much for the new 'open and transparent' IMO.

Yesterdays Sunday Business Post

New row erupts at IMO over former boss's pension
02:58, 21 April 2013 by Susan Mitchell
Another row over pensions has erupted at the beleaguered Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), with a former chief executive claiming the organisation did not honour his pension entitlements.
Michael McCann, who left the IMO in 1992, said: "I would greatly prefer to sit down across the table and resolve this internally. But if the IMO does not address my concerns satisfactorily, I will have no option but to go down a different route. That includes the legal route."
McCann, who left the organisation before he was due to retire, said he received a letter in 1996 from his successor, George McNeice, which said there were difficulties with the scheme.
"I accepted it because I understood the IMO had done away with all the schemes due to a funding shortfall. I was prepared to suffer like all the rest, but when I saw the pension my successor had arranged for himself I was enraged," McCann said.
In December, it emerged McNeice had claimed entitlement to a €20 million pension pot.
McNeice left the organisation last December on an overall pension package worth about €9.7 million, which the IMO said was agreed upon to avoid legal action.
McCann said he had written two letters to the IMO after reviewing his own documentation. The IMO received both letters. He said he was extremely frustrated at the way in which his concerns had been dealt with to date.
The IMO said: "Twenty years ago, in 1992, Mr McCann took voluntary redundancy from the IMO on agreed terms. Those terms have been honoured in full by the IMO and no further issues arise."
The revelations about McNeice's pension caused consternation at the doctors' union. Doctors in senior positions at the IMO denied knowing anything about the arrangement.
The IMO Council has promised members a retrospective review into how the organisation was run and into its current governance structures.

Zebb_Tech wrote: »

Another interesting article - why is Fianna Fail TD Billy Kelleher so interested in the IMO and mygp.ie?

What does he know that we don't??

http://www.imt.ie/news/latest-news/2013/04/call-for-imo-rethink-on-mygp-ie-costs.html

“It is important the public be reassured that this money was spent by the IMO in an appropriate way, that proper procurement procedures were followed in all cases and that there was no conflict of interest in the appointment of suppliers.
“Dr Matthew Sadlier has an important opportunity to demonstrate it is not going to be a case of ‘business as usual’ at the IMO. He should seize that opportunity by lifting the gagging order that was put on the HSE in relation to the mygp.ie investigation immediately and let the public be reassured that the money involved was spent in an appropriate way.”

He doesn't sound convinced that this money was spent in an appropriate way??

Just reading over the weekend that there's a blame game going on between McNeice and the current crowd. Him saying everyone knew what he was getting. They flat out denying it. They continuing to to lay the responsibility with the doctor who passed away a few years ago. And now they effectively trying to say "let's move on"even though what they are trying to stuff under the carpet stinks to high heaven.

There are two separate issues here. The money that went on the pension is IMO money and so is a matter for the IMO and its members.
The money that went to mygp.ie was taxpayers money and so is a matter for all of us. How it was spent, who got the contracts and what they did for the money CANNOT be kept a secret. It isn't up to the IMO to decide if they should tell the public about it. It was the HSE who gave them the money. It was the HSE who investigated how the money was spent and so know where it went. It is the HSE who should be telling the us. A public representative should not be asking a private organisation to tell us. He should be asking the HSE and the Minister for Health. If everything was above board why not tell us?

RobFowl wrote: »

No great secret, the money was wasted on a needless and rubbish website back in the day when we all behaved like headless chickens who had endless reserves of cash burning a hole in our pockets.........

Every euro that is wasted ends up in somebody's pocket, and what I would like to know is whose pocket?
If it was reputable web designers and IT specialists paid at the going rate for their work that is fine and I can accept the money was wasted, but it happened in an honest manner. I waste money every day buying things I don't need or never use but I still know where it went.
If tax payers' money was spent on 'research trips' or ' IT consultants' who didn't actually do any work that is a different matter. If it is no big secret show us the invoices and receipts for the work done. The report has been done and it is being kept secret, or rather 'confidential'. I want to know why a report on the spending of taxpayers' money isn't made public. I would like to see some of the transparency I hear so much about.

Article in yesterday's Business Post - nothing new, but highlights, again, the ludicrous behaviour of the IMO more or less reviewing themselves - more 'jobs for the boys' and continued failure to disclose CEO's salary - have they learnt anything?

Senior IMO figure co-owns firm reviewing doctors' union review carried out by firm co-owned by senior IMO figure
02:58, 16 June 2013 by Susan Mitchell
The internal review into the beleaguered Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) is being carried out by an organisation co-owned by the IMO's interim executive director, Niall Saul.
The IMO declined to say how much it was paying the firm, called Symbio Business Solutions, which has already carried out considerable consultancy work for the IMO.
The doctors' union hit the headlines after it emerged that its former chief executive, George McNeice, left the organisation with a €9.7 million severance package in December 2012. The revelation outraged many IMO members.
Saul, who sits on the executive committee, has worked on a consultancy basis for the IMO for more than a decade.
He is a shareholder and executive chairman of Symbio Business Solutions, which describes itself as a firm involved in management and human-resources consultancy. The IMO has refused to disclose how much it is paying Saul for his role as interim executive at the union at present, despite the furore over McNeice's pension and salary.
McNeice was earning almost €500,000 a year before he left.
A spokesman for the IMO said that the organisation was evaluating completed tenders for a separate retrospective review from the review being carried out by Symbio.
The spokesman added that the number of companies expressing an interest was "in double figures".
In a statement, the IMO said the corporate governance review being carried out by Symbio had begun late last year.
"The EGM, earlier this year, agreed that the review already begun by Symbio should continue on and a review committee be appointed to review and amend/extend the scope of the review if deemed necessary," it said.
Following the revelation about McNeice's salary, more than 120 members tried to convene an emergency general meeting (EGM), but were prevented from doing so by senior figures in the organisation.
Doctors leading the drive for an EGM proposed that an interim chief executive, who had no previous connection with the IMO, be appointed.
More than 300 members resigned in the first three months of the year, and a further 300 let their membership lapse, according to a recent report in the Irish Medical News.
However, membership figures have been boosted by a large increase in the number of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) joining.

take everything wrote: »

Read that yesterday as well.
LMAO.

LMAO is exactly what i didnt do. this is the same group who agreed to the new cuts in pay on the basis that the government 'agree' to 'discuss' measures to retain staff. now that is LMAO territory

Just read in today's Sunday's Business Post that the IMO are not progressing with the external review of this scandal.

They've "parked" it citing financial reasons.

Jesus wept.