Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Finance the cost of bonus payments made to staff in his Department for 2008; the amount set aside in his Department for bonus payments in 2009; if he will make a statement on the circumstances where a staff bonus will be paid in 2009. [4831/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to performance related awards schemes for civil servants for civil servants, which fall into three categories. Assistant Secretary Awards: Following recommendations made by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector, schemes of performance-related awards were introduced for the levels of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary in the civil service, as well as for the Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner ranks in the Garda Síochána and the ranks of Brigadier General and Major General in the Defence Forces.

The schemes of awards are based on performance by reference to demanding targets. The pool for performance awards is 10% of the pay bill for the group concerned. Within that overall limit individuals can receive payments of up to 20% of pay.

Decisions on awards are made by the Committee for Performance Awards (CPA), which includes a majority of private sector members. The main roles of the committee are to monitor the application of the scheme of performance-related awards and to bring independent judgement to bear in approving objectives for the persons covered by the scheme and in approving recommendations for awards.

Details of the procedures, the numbers covered by the schemes, the range of awards and the total amounts paid in Departments are outlined in the annual reports of the committee (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.

Following my announcement in the Dáil on 5 February last relating to the discontinuation of the scheme for Assistant Secretaries, Deputy Secretary and related grades subject to consultation with the relevant Staff Associations, there is now no specific provision for payment under this scheme. This scheme is the only full bonus scheme in operation in the civil service. The following arrangements which apply to other grades provide for reward for exceptional merit or effort in particular cases.

Special Service Payments

Principals and Assistant Principals have a separate scheme which arises as a result of the restructuring agreement for these grades under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. It provides that 1% of payroll for these grades be made available in the form of Special Service Payments, for which staff are invited to apply, based on the following criteria: contribution by the individual to the work of the Department in his/her job, special demands of the job, experience brought to the job.

Merit Awards

In 1993, the then Minister for Finance sanctioned expenditure in respect of Merit Awards to individual staff members or groups of staff below Assistant Secretary level by way of recognition for exceptional performance of duty which was based on 0.1% of the salary allocation (as published in the Revised Estimates) in any one calendar year. This percentage was revised to 0.2% in 1998.

An independent committee administers the Merit Awards scheme up to AO/HEO level; an Assistant Secretary group administers the Awards at Assistant Principal and Principal level. Nominees for the annual Merit Awards must, during the year, have demonstrated one or more of the following criteria: given an exceptional performance in some aspect of his/her work, demonstrated unusual commitment and dedication to some aspect of his/her work, made a notable contribution to the successful achievement of the section's targets.

Ex-gratia payments are made in a number of situations which are outside the remit of the schemes already mentioned. There have been no payments made to date to staff in my Department for 2008 in respect of any of the above schemes. In relation to the SSP and merit awards schemes, no specific provision has been made for 2009.