Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Transport if any member of staff in his Department or associated agency received a bonus between 2009 and 2010; if so, when and the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47732/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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No bonus payments were made to any member of staff in my Department between 2009 and 2010. The payment of bonus payments to staff members of the bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the Board of the State Company concerned. Under the Minister for Finance's Guidelines on Contracts, Remuneration and other Conditions of Chief Executives and Senior Management of Commercial State Bodies, a representative of my Department attends and contributes views at the Remuneration Committee meeting of each commercial State body where bonus payments for Chief Executives are being considered.

I wrote to each commercial State body in February 2009 requesting that consideration be given by the Board to achieving a significant reduction in or elimination of bonus awards to Chief Executives payable for 2009 and also 2010. I also wrote to non-commercial State bodies in May 2009 stating that it would be appropriate that consideration of any bonus payments to Chief Executive Officers be suspended pending the issue of further guidelines from the Department of Finance. These issued in February 2010 and requested that bonus schemes in non-commercial bodies be suspended indefinitely. Details of any bonus payments made to the Chief Executive Officer are required to be published in the annual accounts of the State body.