Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the performance improvement indicators applied to local authorities and to which Departments; the person who is responsible for the measurement of performance improvement; the remuneration linked to performance improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4489/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I assume that the question is referring to the local authority service indicators initiative, which has been in place since 2004. A review of the service indicators was recently completed. There are now indicators across 46 headings as compared to the original 42. They cover a wide range of local authority functions including planning, housing, environment, recreation and amenity.

An implementation team has been established in each local authority to collect, process and forward the service indicator data to the Local Government Management Service Board (LGMSB) who, in conjunction with the Local Computer Service Board, collate the results of the indicators. The results are audited by an Independent Assessment Panel (IAP). The LGMSB is required to present an annual report which contains a copy of the IAP findings to me. A copy of the 2006 report, which was published in June 2007, is available in the Oireachtas library.

There is no remuneration scheme linked directly to service indicators. There is, however, a scheme for performance awards for senior local authority management under which participants are required to submit a statement of objectives at the beginning of the year and an assessment statement at the end of the year. A Committee for Performance Awards oversees the operation of the scheme and approves annual awards of up to 20% of pay for participants. The committee's annual report is available on my Department's website.