Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the performance management systems implemented in his Department as specified in the Public Service Agreement 2010 - 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47965/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In May 2000 General Council Report 1368 (GC 1368) introduced the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) in the civil service and this is implemented in my Department.

The Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 contains a commitment 'to introduce significantly improved performance management across all Public Service areas, and following the current review, the Performance Management and Development System will be strengthened with promotion and incremental progression linked in all cases to performance and the implementation of appropriate systems to address under-performance, including, where appropriate, training or, where necessary, through disciplinary procedures".

In the civil service work is well underway on achieving this goal. The 2010 Evaluation of PMDS has been completed. The Department of Finance is in discussions with Unions in relation to strengthening PMDS.

Performance management in the civil service is already linked to promotion and to incremental progression and the Department of Finance is leading an assessment of the systems in place to address underperformance. My Department will implement a revised Performance Management and Development System promptly on its agreement.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of staff working within his Department who are employed on a short-term, temporary or consultative basis in the years 2009 and 2010; the costs of payment to such staff in each of those years; the number of any such staff who have been previously employed in the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47979/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The information requested in respect of staff employed on a short-term, temporary or consultative basis by my Department in the years 2009 and 2010 is set out in the following table:

Occasionally persons are employed by my Department on a fee per day/consultative basis for specific purposes. 9 of these persons in 2009 and 13 in 2010 had previous service in the public service.

From time to time my Department has employed staff on temporary contracts to fill critical short term business needs and in addition to this temporary Industrial staff are recruited on a seasonal basis for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to work in tourism and educational areas. However the information as to whether any of these staff have been previously employed in the public service is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.

* salary costs include basic salary and Employers PRSI

# In 2009 €196,472 of this money was recouped by my Department from an EU

funded project and in 2010 €45,290 was recouped