Taoiseach to question Ministers individually on their progress

The Taoiseach will meet each of his Ministers and their top civil servants on a one-to-one basis in the New Year to assess the overall performance of the Government.

The objective, according to informed sources, is to establish a new management system in government departments in more direct response to political needs. They are part of a move to set goals and targets on a government basis for the coming year.

The planned meetings have a separate purpose to the Strategic Management Initiative (SMI) which has the specific aim of making Departments more answerable to consumer needs. Mr Ahern will ask each Minister to outline the progress being made on the Programme for Government.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has stated in a weekend interview that he believes that TDs should be paid a basis salary of £45,000 a year, instead of the current £34,000. Their basic pay structure needed to be fundamentally reviewed and the recommendations of the Gleeson and Buckley reports should be implemented.

"I honestly believe that in this day and age, it is not fair to ask TDs to work six days a week - and work damn hard - for £34,000. I think that in the next review, there should be a serious look at the basic structure of TDs' salaries. I really do think that politicians are underpaid," he said.