asked the Minister for the Environment the reasons remuneration or gratuity has not been paid to a road safety officer (details supplied) in County Offaly.
Written Answers. - Offaly Road Safety Officer.
174.
The officer does not hold a specific office for the discharge of the duties in question; these duties have been assigned to him as part of his normal duties. In such cases the standard method of remuneration for such duties is by way of gratuity, paid following the end of each year. Offaly County Council sought approval to payment not of a gratuity but of a formal annual allowance for this officer. This was refused by my Department as annual allowances for this type of work are allowed only where the officer in question holds a specific office for the discharge of these duties. The local authority were informed, however, that it was open to them to submit a proposal for payment of a gratuity in this case. To date no such proposal has been submitted to my Department. If any such proposal is submitted, it will be considered in accordance with the standard criteria governing such cases.