Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether executives of the Health Service Executive deserve their reported bonuses; and the improvements in patient care that have resulted from these extra payments. [29562/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy is aware, the health service is currently going through the most significant reform programme in the history of the state and the demands on executives to manage the transition and implement the changes are immense. The whole objective of the reform programme is to improve services to patients and others users of our public health system and senior managers of the HSE have pivotal roles to play in bringing about the changes necessary to achieve these improvements.

The remuneration arrangements for senior managers in the HSE includes provision for performance related awards. This is in line with the recommendations of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector and Government policy on remuneration for senior public servants.

It is a matter for the Board of the HSE to approve the amount of any performance related award payable to its senior managers based on the recommendation of its remuneration committee. That committee deals with pay related awards for all relevant senior managers in the HSE. My approval is not required for individual awards under the scheme. The overall operation of the scheme will be monitored by the Committee for Performance Rewards in the Health Sector in line with the arrangements for non-commercial bodies generally.

To receive performance related awards executives should fulfil demanding and measurable targets that are based on stretched performance by fully competent persons. The targets should go beyond what is seen as the normal on-going requirements of the job and they should be difficult but not impossible to attain. In circumstances where executives reach such targets, I think it is reasonable that they would qualify for bonuses as provided for in their remuneration arrangements.