Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 407: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the bonuses awarded by his Department to staff members for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007; the number and proportion of staff in receipt of bonuses for each of those years; the average bonus paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32002/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs implements the following schemes involving awards to staff: the Scheme of Performance Related Pay Awards (for officers at the level of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary) and the Exceptional Performance Awards Scheme. The Scheme of Performance Related Pay Awards in the Civil Service applies to Deputy and Assistant Secretaries and equivalent grades. It does not apply to Secretaries General. During 2005, awards totalling €520,000 were made to 45 participating out of a total of 49 eligible officers at Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary levels in respect of their performance in 2004. The average amount paid was therefore €11,556. During 2006, awards totalling €532,000 were made to 46 participating out of a total of 51 eligible officers at Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary levels in respect of their performance in 2005. The average amount paid was therefore €11,565.

During 2007, awards totalling €609,000 were made to 45 participating out of a total of 49 eligible officers at Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary level in respect of their performance in 2006. The average amount paid was therefore €13,533. These payments were subject to tax and PRSI. The awards were made by the Committee for Performance Awards, chaired by the Secretary General for Public Service Management and Development in the Department of Finance, following recommendations by the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Details of the operation of the Performance Related Pay Awards scheme are available in the reports of the Committee for Performance Awards for the years concerned, and can be accessed on the website of the Department of Finance at the following links:

http://www.finance.irlgov.ie/documents/publications/other/commforperfawardannrep.pdf; http://www.finance.gov.ie/documents/civilservice/civilservice/CPA2005.pdf; and

http://www.finance.gov.ie/documents/publications/reports/CPArep2006.pdf

Under the Department of Foreign Affairs' Administrative Budget Agreement with the Department of Finance, a fund amounting to 0.2% of the Department's salaries budget is available each year to the Secretary General in respect of ex-gratia payments or other awards to individual staff members or groups of staff, by way of recognition of exceptional performance of duty. In 2005, €103,650 was spent under this scheme, with awards going to 239 officers out of a total of 1286. The average award was €434.

In 2006, €120,150 was spent under this scheme, with awards going to 228 officers out of a total of 1370. The average award was €527. In 2007, €88,500 was spent, with awards going to 225 officers out of a total of 1450. The average award was €393. This scheme is administered by a sub-group of the Department's Partnership Committee, which assesses nominations for merit awards and makes recommendations to the Secretary General of the Department. The objective of the scheme is to reward cases of genuinely exceptional performance by officers in grades up to and including Counsellor/Principal Officer level.

In June 2006, the Partnership Committee decided that officers in the Department with at least 25 years' service should receive an award in recognition of their service. This award comprises a gift of €250 along with a special commemorative coin. In 2006, a total of €18,559 was spent in providing such Long Service Awards to 67 officers; in 2007, a total of €75,275 was spent in providing Long Service Awards to 272 officers. Finally, in addition to the above, an award of €80,350 was made in 2005 to staff at the Passport Office in respect of their exceptional work on the implementation of the new Automated Passport System.