Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 54: To ask the Minister for Finance the payments made to senior officials in his Department under the performance related pay scheme for each of the years 2005 to 2008, if he has approved the payments for 2008; if so, the date of this approval; the date of the approval of payments relating to 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14220/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I presume that the Deputy is referring to the scheme which, in the civil service, applies at the levels of Deputy and Assistant Secretary. The scheme of awards is based on performance by reference to demanding targets. The pool for performance awards is 10% of the pay bill in the relevant year 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 - including the Department of Finance - are outlined in the annual reports of the committee. The Committee's Annual Reports 2006-2008 covering the operation of the scheme in 2005-2007, are available on the Department of Finance website www.finance.gov.ie. The committee does not identify the amount paid to individuals as this is regarded as personal information. I, as Minister, have no role in either the assessment of performances under the scheme or the allocation of individual awards.

As the Deputy may be aware, on 5 February last I announced in the Dáil the discontinuation of the scheme for Assistant Secretaries, Deputy Secretary and related grades subject to consultation with the relevant Staff Associations. Therefore no assessments or payments have been made in respect of performances in 2008.