Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

Could the Minister give an indication of the number of people who have applied for this scheme, the number who have received awards under it and the amount of money that has been paid in the form of bonuses under it for 2007 and 2008? Is the Minister satisfied that the taxpayer is getting value for money? The output statements for the top-spending Departments for 2007 show that 37% of targets were not met overall. In the Department of Health and Children, 46% of targets were not met while 48% of targets were not met in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In the current climate, does the Minister believe the taxpayer is getting value for money?

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