Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 562: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of occasions on which her Department has sanctioned or applied for the payment of a pension top-up or discretionary payment on retirement to a staff member of the department or any agency under their remit in each of the past three years; the amount paid in each case; the position vacated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34344/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Arising from the establishment of the HSE and following an agreement with IMPACT, the Department of Finance sanctioned the application on an administrative basis of the standard public service superannuation "abolition of office" terms to certain former senior health board personnel who did not obtain posts in the new HSE structure where this was recommended by an independent mediator. This arrangement was subject to the following conditions: it applied only to relevant posts at or above Director function; and the posts in question would be abolished with a corresponding reduction in the HSE's employment ceiling. A total of 20 people have exited the system under this arrangement in the three year period from June 2006 to date (a number of others left prior to June 2006).

In addition, following a recommendation by an independent mediator, special exit arrangements were sanctioned by the Department of Finance for former health board Chief Executive Officers who had been appointed to their posts on fixed term contracts to reflect the fact that their posts no longer existed under the new structure. Only one individual, who had a linkage to this group, has exited on this basis in the three year period from June 2006 to date (others left prior to June 2006).

My Department is also aware of a chief executive officer who retired from a health service provider on grounds of redundancy and of one person who left another organisation as a result of rationalisation/restructuring in accordance with normal public sector arrangements.

While individual benefits constitute personal data, I am making the following information available (based on the information available to me).

*On the basis of their contract, this individual was also entitled to added years and six months severance.

The calculation of pension benefits for retired officers of my Department is a matter for the Department of Finance in accordance with regulations governing these arrangements. My Department has not sanctioned, or applied for sanction for, payment of any pension top-ups or discretionary payments in relation to any officer outside the terms of these regulations.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 563: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff who have been dismissed for misconduct, poor performance or failing to fulfil the terms of their contract from his Department in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34359/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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No staff were dismissed from my Department for misconduct, poor performance or for failing to fulfil the terms of their contract in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. One staff member was dismissed for misconduct in 2009.