Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will detail and itemise the performance based bonuses or other bonuses paid to Secretaries General and Assistant Secretaries in his Department and Offices in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26810/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Civil service posts at the levels of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards. It does not apply to Secretaries General. The operation of the scheme is overseen by the Committee for Performance Awards. Since 2002, the funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by the scheme. Within this overall limit, payments of up to 20% can be made to individuals.

Details of the procedures, the numbers covered by the scheme, the range of awards and the total amounts paid in Departments are outlined in the annual reports of the Committee for Performance Awards (available on the website www.finance.gov.ie). The Committee does not identify the amount paid to individuals as this is regarded as personal information.

Payments for 2006 in the sum of €96,000 were made to 8 staff members in my Department. Payments under the scheme have not yet been made for 2007.