Patsy McGlone 9th June 2009

MCGLONE: DODDS RUNNING OUT-OF-CONTROL BONUS CULTURE

SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said it is increasingly clear that the culture of paying large bonuses to civil servants is beyond the control of the ministers to whom they are supposedly answerable.

A series of Assembly questions put down by Mr McGlone established that senior civil servants are receiving more than a million pounds a year in bonuses.

He said: “Top civil servants who can earn up to £200,000 a year are getting many thousands in bonuses, and the amounts are decided by other top civil servants. Many of the ministers in the Executive disagree with the whole bonus culture but they can do nothing about it, because the number and rate of bonus payments is set by Nigel Dodds’s Department of Finance and Personnel. Peter Robinson was previously responsible, but now even the First Minister and Deputy First Minister are now calling for a review.

“Neither elected representatives or the public have any idea what these bonuses are for, over and above the work the individuals are already paid large salaries for. Ministers are aware of the public anger on this issue and clearly it should be aimed in the right direction. Nigel Dodds needs to come out from behind the civil servants and either explain and defend these bonuses or else agree to the review that ministers are calling for.

“We need a transparent system of payments for top civil servants just as much as we do for MLAs and MPs, but bonuses should motivate exceptional effort and success. It can hardly be said that only those at the top need motivation.”
Note to Editors:
Patsy McGlone published most ministerial answers on 26th May. Outstanding answers from OFMDFM and the Minister for Health are attached.

ENDS 09/05/09