A new head has been appointed to Health Minister James Reilly's Special Delivery Unit (SDU), which is tasked with reducing waiting lists and ED trolley waits.

Senior HSE official Ian Carter is taking over from current HSE chief Tony O'Brien as head of the SDU.

Mr Carter, a former CEO of Dublin's St James's Hospital, is currently National Director Designate for Acute Hospitals in the HSE.

The HSE said Mr Carter will be undertaking both roles into the future. He will be formally appointed National Director in the HSE when the legislation to set up the new directorate structure in the health executive is passed shortly.

It was recently announced that UK expert Dr Martin Connor is quitting his post as Senior Policy Adviser to the Unit later this year. He was hired on a contract basis, and has been paid total of €544,520 since his appointment in 2011.