http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_JLuYzXFgY

THREE EXECUTIVES AT the Rehab Group refused to disclose their salaries to the Public Accounts Committee this afternoon.

The refusal came just moments after Rehab’s chief executive Angela Kerins, who earns €240,000 annually, told independent TD Shane Ross that she wanted to disclose as much detail as possible about remuneration for senior executives.

When Ross proceeded to ask Kerins’s colleagues – Laura Keane, non-executive director John McGuire, and then Marie Kelly – they all declined to say how much they earn, pointing out their salaries have been provided to “the accounting body” i.e. the HSE.

Earlier, Kerins had pointed out that salaries are not taxpayer funded and Rehab employees are not public sector employees.

Ross then asked HSE director general if he could answer the question. Tony O’Brien said that he was legally obliged to provide such information to TDs and could do so under absolute privilege, breaking the confidentiality that Rehab had asserted in previous correspondence.

“I am obliged to provide information that’s available to me to you when asked to do so. I have the information,” he said, adding he would share it with the PAC clerk.

A short time later, Ross remarked: “I find this whole experience pretty worthless to be honest.”

Watch the tense exchange in the video above

Angela Kerins: I am a private citizen, I am not paid by the taxpayer (LIVE)

Read: ‘I think that’s kind of shocking’: Tense exchanges as Mary Lou questions Rehab chief