The group has more than 10,000 staff and an annual budget of more than €850m and Mr Power receives an annual salary of €151,000, the court heard.
He has been group CEO since October 2014, having previously held several other positions within the public health service.Mr Power, represented by Ray Ryan BL, applied for the job and was called to a preliminary interview but was not invited to the second round of interviews. Counsel said Mr Power’s case is that he was wrongfully forced to apply for his own role and the recruitment process cannot lawfully be held.
His client has appealed the decision not to include him in the second round and has also lodged a claim with theAs a result of being employed on five successive fixed term contracts, he claims he is now, under the 2003 Protection of Employment Act, entitled to be treated as having a contract of indefinite duration in respect of his role as group CEO.
He claims he is entitled to such a contract because he has acquired four years of continuous service in the post., Galway, wants various orders, including an injunction preventing the HSE terminating his employment as CEO or appointing anyone else to the position until the case has been determined.