Twenty four senior managers in section 39 voluntary organisations receiving substantial funds from the HSE are getting over €100,000 a year in salaries.

HSE Deputy Director General Laverne McGuinness told the Oireachtas Health Committee today that a review of Section 39 agencies found that a total of 136 senior managers (Grade VIII and above) are employed by these organisations and of these 24 senior managers are in receipt of an annual salary in excess of €100,000.

In addition, 34 of 136 management positions across eight of these agencies receive additional benefits, such as private health insurance, company cars, etc, Ms McGuinness said.

She said arrangements have been made to engage further with these agencies in the coming weeks regarding their obligations under their service arrangement to have due regard to Government pay policy.

The HSE funds over 1,900 voluntary agencies to a value of approximately €3.1 billion. Forty-four of these agencies (mainly voluntary hospitals), accounting for €2.5 billion are funded under Section 38 of the Health Act ('Section 38 agencies').

The remaining agencies, of which there are more than 1,800, are part-funded under Section 39 of the Health Act ('Section 39 agencies'). The Rehab group is a section 39 agency.

Ms McGuinness told the Committee today that to date, of the 143 business cases made for continuation of top-up pay for staff in Section 38 bodies, arrangements have been made to cease a total of 47.

In a further 67 of the cases made, it had been argued that the staff concerned had a contractual entitlement to the extra payments.

Meanwhile, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chair John McGuinness has said the PAC would robustly defend the court action being taken by former Rehab CEO Angela Kerins, in which she has claimed that the PAC were on a 'witch-hunt' against her.

Ms Kerins claims she lost her job and suffered health problems as a result of the PAC's questioning of her in relation to Rehab's finances.