Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form, the number of staff in his department, or in bodies that fall under the remit of his Department, whose annual remuneration including salary, pension and benefits at 31 December 2011 fell into bands of €400,000 and above, between €300,000 to €399,999, between €200,000 to €299,999 and between €150,000 to €199,000; if he will provide a breakdown of the positions held by the staff in the relevant pay brackets. [52714/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The following table provides details requested by the Deputy of the number of staff in each of the salary bands.

Details included in the table for Department staff refer to the Chief Inspector who earned between €150,000 and €200,000 and the former Secretary General who earned between €200,000 and €300,000.

Details in the remaining columns refer to senior staff in the Higher Education sector.

Remuneration for Academic Medical Consultants falls in the main within the remit of the Minister for Health.

Framework Appointments are made by universities under the terms of a Departures Framework provided for under Section 25(5) of the Universities Act 1997. This allows universities in very limited and exceptional circumstances, for academic and research posts, to depart from approved levels of remuneration where the governing authority is satisfied that it is necessary to meet the objects of the university. The purpose of the Framework is to enable a university to attract a person to its staff, who would, because of exceptional or scarce expertise and/or qualifications, command remuneration higher than the norm and who would not be prepared to work for the university unless so rewarded.

No. of High Earners (Headcount) in Education Sector – 31 December 2011

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has made any contacts requesting staff whose annual salary is in excess of €200,000 in his Department or in any body under the remit of his department, to waive 15% of their salary or such amount in excess of €200,000 whichever is the lesser; if he has, the date on which he first made this contact; the number of staff whose annual salaries were in excess of €200,000 at that date; the number of staff who acquiesced to the request for the waiver; the number of staff who refused the request for the waiver and the number of staff who have not responded to the request for the waiver [52715/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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On the 22nd July 2011 I wrote to all relevant Bodies requesting them to ask all relevant individuals who earn in excess of €200,000 to make a voluntary waiver of salary. There were eight relevant individuals whose annual salaries were in excess of €200,000 at that date. While two individuals, one of whom is a university Head, agreed to make personal arrangements with their employer regarding a deduction of the amount of salary over €200,000, there have been no voluntary waivers made for the benefit of the State.

I cannot enforce a voluntary waiver nor can I insist that a waiver, if made, follows any particular format. For example, if an employee chooses to waive a portion of his/her salary in favour of a charity or their employer they are free to do so.