293 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the performance management systems implemented in her Department as specified in the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47971/10]

The Public Service Agreement, 2010-2014, contains a commitment "to introduce significantly improved performance management across all Public Service areas, and following the current review, the Performance Management and Development System will be strengthened with promotion and incremental progression linked in all cases to performance and the implementation of appropriate systems to address under-performance, including, where appropriate, training or, where necessary, through disciplinary procedures". I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department is fully committed to implementation of this Agreement through the use of the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) in managing the performance, career and development needs of each staff member. PMDS links directly into the Department's Human Resource processes and is used for all decisions in relation to increments, promotion competitions and higher scale posts.

294 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport the number of staff working within her Department who are employed on a short-term, temporary or consultative basis in the years 2009 and 2010; the costs of payment to such staff in each of those years; the number of any such staff who have been previously employed in the public service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47985/10]

The number of staff working within my Department in 2009 who were employed on a short-term, temporary or consultative basis was 5 and the cost was €216,201. The figure for 2010 was 6 and the cost was €200,778. On the basis of the records available I am not in a position to indicate the number of such staff who have been previously employed in the public service