Bonuses of �1.8m for 2012 staff

The ODA is responsible for 2012 building projects

Staff overseeing the construction of venues for London's 2012 Olympics have been paid more than £1.8m in bonuses.

Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) staff received £1,806,685 in performance-related pay in the year to March 2009, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said.

The average bonus for its 206 employees was £8,770, Ms Jowell said in answer to a Parliamentary question.

An ODA spokesman said: "Bonuses for staff are linked to performance and the project is on track and within budget."

The ODA is responsible for Olympic building and infrastructure projects.

If bonuses are being awarded across the board maybe these targets are not sufficient

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat Olympics spokesman

Bonuses for ODA directors came to a total of £282,629, heads of function received £514,882 and managers and technical professionals were given a total of £686,708 in bonuses.

In July ODA chief executive David Higgins said he had deferred half of his £209,566 performance-based pay until 2012.

His award, agreed by the Culture Department and the Olympics minister, is linked to keeping the Olympic project on time and within budget.

Liberal Democrat Olympics spokesman Tom Brake said: "Good performance has got to be rewarded but we need assurances that the targets being set are sufficiently stretching.

"If bonuses are being awarded across the board maybe these targets are not sufficient."

He added: "We are clearly in very tough financial times and just as there is heavy focus on bankers' bonuses equally there should be on bonuses for the Olympic Delivery Authority."

The ODA spokesman said: "Building the venues and infrastructure needed for Games and legacy is the biggest construction project in Europe to a fixed deadline."

He added: "Overall, programme management costs are in line with industry levels. The ODA will begin scaling down in size as projects complete in 2011."