The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street was named by the HSE yesterday as one of a list of hospitals deemed by it to be non-compliant with public pay policy as a result of unauthorised top-up payments to senior staff.

However, Holles Street, in a statement issued last week in relation to top-up pay, said it remunerated its personnel 'in full compliance with public service pay requirements'.

The HSE revealed to the Dail Public Accounts Committee yesterday that in its investigation of pay compliance, while 30 health agencies had to date categorised themselves as compliant with pay policy, the HSE had deemed only seven of these agencies to be actually fully compliant.*

A further list of 12 agencies categorised themselves to the HSE as non-compliant.

Holles Street, although it had told the HSE it was compliant, is categorised as a health agency which was non-compliant, with issues identified in a HSE audit and 'with no approvals submitted for deviations from pay policy'.

Other hospitals in this non-compliant category include the Rotunda, Tallaght Hospital (the subject of a previous top-up pay controversy), Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital and the Coombe Hospital.

The HSE told the Committee yesterday that the information it received to date from Holles Street did not indicate that the source of any of its extra payments represented private patient income.

It said it was told the privately-funded sources of allowances mentioned by the hospital to date included rents, licence fees and other income. There were four such allowances identified in the recent HSE audit.

Holles Street Master Dr Rhona Mahony recently stated that a €45,000 extra payment made to her was in fact in respect of income from private patients.

Meanwhile, Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin said its CEO's remuneration had full hospital board approval and was PAYE compliant.

However, Crumlin is included by the HSE in its list of agencies not compliant with official pay policy.

The CEO's remuneration includes a top-up element from hospital shop income, but the hospital stressed last night that no charitable donations had been used to make the extra payment.

The basic pay of Crumlin's Chief Executive Lorcan Birthistle was below that of many other CEOs in similar positions, so it was supplemented by income from hospital commercial activities.

The hospital said it had previously attempted to secure approval from the HSE for an appropriate rate of pay for its CEO. Crumlin says it believed this could now be achieved in accordance with new HSE recommendations on pay and this would be pursued with the HSE.

The HSE said Crumlin was one of a number of hospitals which confirmed compliance but were deemed by the HSE to have made exceptions to official pay policy.

Among health agencies, only three hospitals so far: the Mercy in Cork, Clontarf Orthopaedic Hospital and St John's in Limerick, have been deemed by the HSE to be fully compliant with pay policy.

One agency has not yet responded to the HSE's request for compliance information, while another submitted formal approval from the Department of Health for a non-compliant allowance to be paid, according to the HSE.

One centre, the Cork Dental School has so far not responded to the HSE's requests for further information about top-up pay.

Compliance claims not valid, says HSE

*List of pay-compliant and non-compliant health agencies:

Confirmed Compliance (no issues identified by audit) - 7 Agencies
* KARE, Central Services, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
* St John's Hospital, Limerick.
* St Patrick's Centre, Kells Road, Kilkenny.
* The Children's Sunshine Home, Leopardstown Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18.
* Mercy University Hospital, Cork.
* Sunbeam House Services, Cedar Estate, Killarney Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
* Incorporated Orthopaedic Hospital, Castle Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.

Confirmed compliance (but audit report indicated issues - further verification required) - 7 Agencies
* Cheeverstown House, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.
* St James's Hospital, Dublin 3.
* St John of God Hospitaller Services, 'Granada', Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.
* Stewart's Hospital, Palmerstown, Dublin 20.
* Carmen Centre, Leopardstown Park Hospital, Foxrock, Dublin 18.
* St Vincent's Hospital, Convent Avenue, Richmond Road, Fairview, Dublin 3.
* Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.

Confirmed Compliance (but submitted approval for non standard allowances) - 1 Agency
* South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Old Blackrock Road, Cork.

Confirmed compliance (but letter indicated exceptions to pay policy) - 15 Agencies
* Brothers of Charity (Clare), Banner House, Clare Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.
* Brothers of Charity (Galway), WoodlandsCentre, Renmore, Galway, Co. Galway.
* Brothers of Charity (Roscommon),Lanesboro Street, Roscommon Town, Co.
Roscommon.
* Brothers of Charity (Limerick), Bawnmore, Limerick, Co. Limerick.
* Brothers of Charity (South East Region), Belmont Park, Waterford, Co. Waterford.
* Brothers of Charity (Southern Region), Lota, Glanmire, Cork, Co. Cork.
* COPE Foundation, Bonnington, Montenotte, Cork, Co. Cork.
* Daughters of Charity Services for Persons withIntellectual Disability (Limerick Services),St. Vincent's Centre, Lisnagry, Limerick, Co. Limerick.
* National Rehabilitation Hospital, Rochestown Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
* Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12.
* Peamount Hospital, Newcastle, Co. Dublin.
* Beaumont Hospital.
* Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7.
* Temple Street Children's UniversityHospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1.
* St. Vincent's Healthcare Group, Elm Park, Dublin 4.