Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the practice of awarding bonuses to State sector employees. [37613/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Schemes of performance-related awards were introduced for certain public service grades on foot of recommendations by the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector. In making these recommendations the Review Body expressed the view that such schemes were a highly desirable element in the total remuneration of top public service posts.

I announced in the Dáil on 5 February 2009 that award schemes in the public service would be suspended. No awards have been approved for 2008 in the case of the schemes applying to Deputy Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries in the civil service, the ranks of Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner in the Garda Síochána, the ranks of Major General and Brigadier General in the Defence Forces and senior staff in the local authorities and the HSE.

Decisions on performance-related bonuses for chief executives or other senior staff of non-commercial bodies and agencies are a matter for the Boards concerned. However, in April of this year my Department asked Secretaries General of Government Departments to inform such bodies and agencies under the remit of their Departments that, in view of the current economic and budgetary difficulties, it was appropriate that consideration of any bonus payments should be suspended.

The Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector has recently submitted a report to me on the remuneration of the senior public service groups within its terms of reference and this is under consideration at present. I intend to review the future position on performance-related awards in the context of my consideration of the report.