Donnelly wrote to HSE in summer on overcrowding; State pays more to build homes than EU neighbours
The stories you need to read this morning in business, politics and current affairs
Donnelly raised concerns with HSE in summer about hospital overcrowding
Stephen Donnelly raised concerns with the HSE in recent months about the quality of the winter plans of several hospitals, and queried the number of consultants working at weekends, as his department warned that significant surges in hospitalisations were likely.
In a series of letters sent between May and July, the Minister for Health urged the executive of the HSE to expedite an agreed plan to fill emergency department consultant and nursing roles.
Supermac’s boss says insurance premiums have risen by 25 per cent despite reforms
Pat McDonagh, the Supermac’s founder and hotelier, has said his insurance premiums have risen by up to 25 per cent in the last year despite a sharp fall in the average awards being made for personal injury cases in courts.
According to figures from the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB), the average figure for a public liability award was down 39 per cent to €15,813 in the first six months of last year when compared to 2020. However, McDonagh said that there has been no parallel fall in premiums.
Internal report: LDA pays more to build affordable homes than EU neighbours
The state is paying up to €138,000 more to build a home than other European countries building similar affordable housing, a confidential Land Development Agency (LDA) report has shown.
The 40-page research document obtained by the Business Post, which has not been shared with the Department of Housing, was labelled by the agency as “private & confidential – not to be shared outside LDA”. It was completed in April 2021.
Universities given €139m pensions bailout as retirees live longer
The country’s universities were given a €139 million pensions bailout after officials warned that they were running out of money to pay retired staff who are living longer.
Officials in the Department of Further and Higher Education warned the Department of Public Expenditure in September last year that the pensions black hole for five universities was “accumulating sharply”, and might prevent university accounts being signed off.
Revolut fined €70,000 in Lithuania for failing to submit accounts on time
Revolut was fined €70,000 at the end of last year by the Lithuanian Central Bank after failing to submit audited accounts for a key European subsidiary for the 2021 financial year.
The fast-growing financial technology and banking company has also yet to file audited accounts for two key holding companies in Britain after “unacceptably high” risks of material misstatement were identified by British regulators last year.
