Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if county managers are entitled to a bonus or performance related payments; the amount of these payments paid in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 for each city and county council; if there is a standard mechanism for calculating these payments; the mechanism used for calculating these payments; and if there is a correlation between the amount of development levies and bonus paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27807/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector (Part 2 of Report No. 38 of September 2000 dealing with Rewarding Exceptional Performance) recommended the introduction of a performance related awards scheme for County and City Managers, Assistant City Managers and Directors of Service of local authorities. Accordingly, a scheme was introduced in 2003, with the pool for performance awards set at 10% of the pay bill for the group concerned and with individual participants eligible to receive payments of up to 20% of pay.

Details concerning awards made in 2006 and 2007 under the Performance Awards Scheme for the local government sector are contained in the annual reports of the local government Committee for Performance Awards (CPA) which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Awards are defined in terms of their distribution as a percentage of pay, the range of monetary values, and the number of recipients.

Awards of 15% to 20% have only been made in the most exceptional situations where performance has surpassed all reasonable expectations and has resulted in the achievement of a major goal of the local authority. Awards of more than 10% and up to 15% have only been made where performance has substantially exceeded the targets defined. Awards of more than 5% and up to 10% have been made where stretched targets have been fully met or exceeded (but not to a major degree). Awards of 0% to 5% have been made where stretched targets have not been fully met.

Each local authority manager who participated in the Performance Award Scheme submitted a statement of objectives to the CPA for approval. Awards were determined by the CPA, based on achievement in the relevant year for the approved objectives. In accordance with advice provided by the Information Commissioner, in relation to the corresponding Civil Service Scheme, information naming officials and individual amounts paid to them is deemed a personal record and consequently is not made publicly available.

No performance awards have been made in respect of 2008 or 2009. The scheme for the local government sector is currently suspended.