Former HSE chief Paul Reid could be paid a daily rate of €650 for his role as chairman of the Citizens’ Assembly on drugs use, Dublin Live has learned.
He was appointed to the post by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in February, just four months after he stood down from his €420,000-a-year role. The first meeting of the assembly is due to take place next month, with letters being sent to homes across the country inviting residents to register to participate.
A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform spokesperson has confirmed to that Mr Reid will be paid a daily rate of €650, to a maximum of €19,500 per annum. They said: “This department received a request on March 6, 2023 from the Citizens’ Assembly Secretariat seeking sanction for a per diem fee of €650 to be paid to the chairperson of the Citizens’ Assembly on drugs use.
Read more: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warns there is 'good chance' Ireland will experience another pandemic
“This fee has now been sanctioned for a maximum of 30 days. The fee is in line with the per diem rate sanctioned for chairpersons of Citizens’ Assemblies in 2022.”
How many days Mr Reid will have to work is unclear. If he works for the full 30 days, he could be paid up to €19,500. An assembly spokesperson said: “This rate is currently €650 per day. Payments will be subject to taxation as appropriate.
“It is too early to determine precisely how many days will be required by the chairperson over the course of 2023, but it is estimated to be up to 30 days in total.” Elsewhere, Mr Reid appeared on RTE’s Today with Claire Byrne on Monday morning to speak about the assembly.
He acknowledged that there had been backlash, in particular from Green Party TDs, about his appointment to the position. On the day of the announcement, Patrick Costello, said it was a “terrible decision”. Mr Reid added: “It’s always understanding that people will have a view. I’m not going to have a spat with anybody.”
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