The controversial pay off to Paul Kiely saved the Central Remedial Clinic money.
That's according to the former Chairman of the company, Hamilton Goulding, whose mother founded the CRC
He says he tried to cut Mr Kiely's 240 thousand euro a year salary, but was told he couldn't
Hamilton Goulding says by giving Paul Kiely an early retirement package and hiring a successor on a lower salary, he had saved the Central Remedial Clinic in the region of 1.4 million euro.
In an interview in today's Irish Daily Mail, the former Chairman says he understands the anger of the public and CRC families, but insists the 742 thousand euro pay-off was the only way to save money in the long run.
Mr Goulding says they couldn't just break a legally binding employment contract and if Mr Kiely, who was CEO for 25 years, had been paid his full salary until retirement, it would have cost over 2.1 million euro.
He said the payout was financed from proceeds of the CRCs fundraiser lotteries and investment income from the Friends and Supporters of the CRC.
Mr Goulding says as a "gesture", Mr Kiely shoud refund some of the pay-out.
