Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether it is appropriate to award Professor Drumm a bonus of €70,000 at a time when the Health Service Executive is making cutbacks to critical frontline services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39355/09]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the planned €70,000 bonus for the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive, in respect of 2007, has been awarded; if she has contacted the board of the HSE in relation to the bonus; her views on whether this payment is in contravention of the letter sent in May 2009 to the HSE and other bodies requesting them not to pay bonuses in the current economic climate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39373/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 151 together.

The payment of the 2007 bonus to the CEO of the HSE was not in contravention of a letter sent from my Department to the HSE in May 2009 as it is manifestly a bonus in respect of two years prior. Many other bonuses were paid within the public service, including the HSE, in relation to 2007. The approval of performance-related payments to eligible individual senior managers in State bodies is a matter for the boards of such bodies.

Accordingly, and in line with contract terms, the performance-related payment in respect of 2007 for the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Service Executive was assessed and determined by the Board of the Health Service Executive.

The Board of the HSE has agreed to suspend consideration of all performance related awards in respect of 2008. All eligible employees, including the CEO, were informed of that decision. No performance-related payments have been made to senior managers in the HSE in respect of 2008.