Dail report: Senior civil servants in the Department of Health got bonuses of up to €5,000 each for attending EU meetings during Ireland's presidency last year.
A total of €64,383 was paid to 22 principal and assistant principal officers for "special extra attendance required in the context of the EU presidency", according to figures released by Minister for Health Mary Harney. The single highest individual performance-related payment of €14,600 was made to a senior Department of Finance official last year, from a total payout in 2004 of €114,950. The payment was made through an award scheme for assistant and deputy secretaries.
Under a Department of Health staff suggestion scheme to improve Civil Service operations, a porter got €2,685.76 for a suggestion in 2002 while this year an executive officer received €2,540 for contributing to improved operations.
In the attendance award scheme, two principal officers in Health got the top attendance bonus rate of €5,000 each for "consistent and exceptional attendance" at EU meetings, while seven assistant principal officers got €4,200 each.
Three principal officers received €2,500 each while a fourth earned €2,083 as a bonus for going to the meetings. Five assistant principal officers got €2,100 each, one got €1,750 and three others each received €1,050. The awards were made to "non-overtime grades".
The figures were given in reply to Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton, who asked what bonus or merit payments were awarded to senior officials and staff since the year 2000.
Performance-related bonus schemes operate across the Civil Service and in the Department of Health a principal officer got €4,276.39 for "exceptional performance" in 2003, the highest individual award since 2002.
Jobs at departmental assistant secretary and deputy secretary level are covered by a scheme of performance-related awards, decided by the committee for performance awards. Details are available on the Department of Finance website at www.finance.gov.ie.
Ms Burton asked the questions across all departments and in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, a total €33,800 was paid to nine officials for their "consistent and exceptional extra attendance" during Ireland's EU presidency. The special payments were sanctioned by Finance because of the presidency.
Three principal officers received the top payment of €5,000.
All departments except Transport gave the range of awards and amounts paid, while the Department of Transport said the funding was based on 10 per cent of the payroll for posts covered by the scheme. Within that overall limit, payments of up to 20 per cent can be made to individuals.
For staff below the grade of assistant secretary there is an "exceptional performance awards scheme". These are made for "genuinely exceptional performance where regard is had to the nature and quality of the activities involved and to the circumstances under which they are carried out".
Under a scheme for principal and assistant principal officers, awards can be made based on criteria including the contribution the individual official makes to the work of the department, the special demands of the jobs and experience brought to the job.
In 2002 the Department of Finance paid €79,278 under this scheme of which €3,674 was the highest individual payment.
