Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The contractual arrangements and conditions of employment in respect of the HSE and its staff refer to the recommendations of the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector. This is about trying to ensure one provides a pay scale that relates to performance based on setting targets. The principles of higher remuneration in the public sector were about trying to bring comparability to the private sector to get such practices in place. Awards should be related to the achievement of highly demanding and challenging targets and stretch objectives that are difficult to achieve. The scheme provides for the payment of awards after the year end where it has been determined that the prior agreed stretched objectives have been met.

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