January’s 1bn benchmarking bonanza

THE vast majority of civil and public servants were yesterday cleared to receive the next stage of their benchmarking payments in January.

Close to 1 billion will be divided out to civil and public servants as the second benchmarking installment, totalling 50%, is paid.

Although doubts still linger over some teachers, prison officers and cleaning staff at Dublin City Council, the performance of 27 government departments and statutory bodies, as well as the entire health service, has been assessed and approved by Performance Verification Groups (PVG). The Department of Education’s PVG also last night cleared payment to all teachers except those in a handful of schools which had taken industrial action.