More than 250 NTMA staff received bonuses last year

MORE than 250 staff at the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), which includes staff at NAMA, were paid bonuses for last year.

Each of the 258 staff, representing 84% of the workforce, were paid an average of just under €7,700 each.

The information was contained in a response from Finance Minister Michael Noonan to a parliamentary question posed by Fianna Fáil spokesman on public expenditure and financial sector reform, Michael McGrath.

The figures for the agency also reveal that:

* In all, 14 NTMA employees are paid more than €250,000.

* Three are paid between €200,000 and €250,000.

* And 27 are paid between €150,000 and €200,000.

At the end of last month, it emerged that the chief executives of NAMA, the NTMA and the National Development Finance Agency had waived their bonuses for last year but some staff at the NTMA had received payments.

Nine of the most senior executives at the NTMA waived bonuses worth €905,000 for last year.

A spokesman said the agency has reduced payroll by 11% since 2009.

Separately, Eirgrid has become the latest semi-state body to confirm that it will not be paying a bonus to its chief executive this year.

Dermot Byrne was paid a bonus of €23,000 last year on top of his salary of €228,000.

An Eirgrid spokesman said its remuneration committee met yesterday to consider the request from the Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Pat Rabbitte, not to award a bonus and Mr Byrne agreed with the request.

The Government has requested all semi-states not to award performance-related pay to their chief executives in 2011.