Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 October 2005
403 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science the bonus or merit payments awarded to senior officials and staff each year since 2000, detailing the management and staff category; the purpose and the amount of the award and the highest award made and to whom. [28396/05]
View answerMy Department operates two bonus or merit schemes for all staff — a performance-related awards scheme for posts at the level of assistant Secretaries General and a merit scheme that recognises exceptional performance for all other grades up to and including principal officer and equivalent in the Department. Civil Service posts at the levels of assistant secretary and deputy secretary are covered by a scheme of performance related awards, which was introduced in 2002. The operation of the scheme is overseen by the committee for performance awards. The funding for awards is based on 10% of the payroll for the posts covered by the scheme. Within this overall limit, payments of up to 20% can be made to individuals. Details of the procedures, the numbers covered by the scheme, the range of awards and the total amounts paid in Departments are outlined in the annual reports of the committee — available on the website, www.finance.gov.ie. The committee does not identify the amount paid to individuals as this is regarded as personal information.
Prior to the introduction of the current scheme, there was a scheme of awards for assistant Secretaries General which was based on 4% of the pay bill for assistant Secretaries General. Payments under the Department's merit scheme for staff up to and including principal officer and equivalent grades are made annually. The scheme introduced in 2000, was recently reviewed. Following the review, individual awards were increased to €1,000 for all grades and group awards increased to €250 per group member. Nominations for individual and group merit awards in respect of 2004 and 2005 were recently sought from staff. A committee representative of all grades will meet in November to consider all nominations.
Criteria for receipt of an award under the merit scheme for grades up to and including principal officer and equivalent grades include consistently high performance, creative application of skills and initiative to the resolution of difficult issues, development of new procedures and processes which increase the effectiveness and-or quality of a service, exceptional commitment shown in the implementation of specific measures, establishment and maintenance of high standards of quality in the delivery of a particular services, highly effective co-ordination of activities which results in meeting targets ahead of schedule, assuming effective control in areas when urgent action is required to maintain quality-credibility of an educational service and-or providing leadership of a project team resulting in improved performance.
Between 2000 and 2003, the merit scheme allowed for individual and group awards of varying levels. Principal officers and equivalent grades received individual awards of £600 or €761.84 in 2000 and 2001, €750 in 2002 and €825 in 2003. Assistant principals and equivalent grades received individual awards of £400 or €507.90 in 2000 and 2001, €750 in 2002 and €825 in 2003. Higher executive officers and equivalent grades received individual awards of £350 or €444.41 in 2000 and 2001, €500 in 2002 and €550 in 2003. All other grades received individual awards of £250 or €317.43 in 2000 and 2001, €500 in 2002 and €550 in 2003. Group awards ranged between £125 or €158.72 in 2000 and 2001, €250 in 2002 and €275 in 2003.
