asked the Minister for Finance if he will furnish details of the sick-pay schemes now in operation in State Departments for (a) industrial or blue-collar employees, and (b) non-industrial or white-collar employees, stating the qualifying period of service, the duration of sick pay, and the estimated number of employees in (a) and (b) in each Government Department not within the scope of any sick pay scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sick-Pay Schemes in State Departments.
10.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
I. Sick Pay Schemes applicable in Departments generally.
|
Category of employee |
Qualifying period of service for sick pay |
Rates and duration of sick pay |
|
Established Civil Servants. |
— |
Full pay during properly certified sick absence, provided there is no evidence of permanent disability for service, may be allowed at the discretion of the Head of the Department and, subject to any Service regulations in regard to leave, up to a maximum of 6 months in 1 year and half pay thereafter subject to a maximum of 12 months sick leave in any period of 4 years or less. |
|
Unestablished and Temporary Officers Class I (over 18 years of age). |
3 months |
Full pay f r up to 6 weeks in any period of 12 months and, after 12 months continuous service, full pay for up to 13 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
16½ years to 18 years |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 8 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Under 16½ years |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 6 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Class II |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 5 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Class III (part-time temporary and established staff). |
4 years |
Full pay for up to 4 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
II. Special sick-pay schemes
|
Category of employee |
Qualifying period of service for sick pay |
Rates and duration of sick pay |
|
Department of Posts and Telegraphs. |
||
|
Certain full-time unestablished officers. (over 18 years). |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 6 weeks in any period of 12 months and, after 12 months continuous service, full pay up to 9 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
16½ to 18 years of age |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 7 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Under 16½ years of age |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 5 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Certain full-time temporary officers |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 5 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Office of Public Works: |
||
|
Trainee Architectural Assistant Trainee Engineering Technician |
6 months |
Full pay for up to 4 weeks in any period of 12 months service until the end of two years service and thereafter up to 6 weeks in any period of 12 months. |
|
Office of the Revenue Commissioners. |
||
|
Certain employees in the Stamping Branch (x). |
— |
13 weeks in any period of 12 months at certain specified rates, viz. Male craft workers £3 per week, Female workers £1 6s. 6d. per week, Junior workers (girl learners) first year—5/- per week, 2nd year—10/- per week, 3rd year—11/ per week, 4th year—13/6 per week. |
|
Special conditions applicable to officers suffering from tuberculosis. |
||
|
Established officers |
— |
A maximum of 6 months with full pay followed by 6 months on ¾ pay and by six months on ½ pay. |
|
Unestablished Officers eligible under their approved conditions of service for ordinary sick pay. |
3 years |
A maximum of 3 months on full pay followed by 6 months on ¾ pay. |
NOTES:
(a) Any Established Officer whose period of service would enable him to qualify for a pension in the event of his retirement on grounds of ill-health may, when his normal sick pay entitlement is exhausted, be granted sick leave at pension rate of pay.
(b) The amounts of sick pay specified are subject to deduction of any Social Welfare benefits payable to officers other than those at (x) in respect of absence due to illness.
(c) The special sick pay arrangements for officers suffering from tuberculosis are allowed once only to any officer.
(d) The sick leave conditions of officers recruited locally by officers of the Department of External Affairs abroad vary considerably from country to country. As the numbers covered by them are small it is not considered necessary to indicate these conditions.
III. Estimated number of employees in Departments not within the scope of any sick pay scheme: 11,682.
In addition to those referred to at III an estimated 10,000 persons representing gangers and labourers are employed casually by the Special Employment Schemes Office on minos employment, bog development and rural improvement schemes for, on average, 5-6 weekr during the year and are not eligible for sick pay arising from such employment.
11.
asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the proposed new free trade area between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, he will now abolish the present request charge of two shillings in respect of cross-Border traffic.
12.
asked the Minister for Finance if in view of the general demand he will now consider changing the present system relating to the control of cross-Border traffic by employing the pass system as against the passbook system which is most unsatisfactory and inconvenient.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
No alterations in the current customs procedures on the land frontier are contemplated at present. The whole system of control, including the aspects to which the questions refer, will, however, be brought under review in the event of a satisfactory outcome to the current trade negotiations.
Surely the Minister must accept from members of his own Party who have made representation to him, or if not to him to his predecessor, about matters such as this, that when it comes to the tourist trade, it is wrong that a person who comes into this country and who has the misfortune to wait until after 12 o'clock at night should be charged a fee of 2/-to leave the country again? Surely this cuts across the "Sell Ireland" programme of Bord Fáilte, inviting people to this country and then charging them 2/- to leave it?
There are certain times of duty for the officers at the frontier posts. If a person attends during those hours of duty and presents his passbook while entering or leaving the country, there is no charge. However, if he attends one of the posts outside of these hours, it entails extra cost to the State to have an officer present. A charge of 2/- is not too onerous in such circumstances.
The point I want to dispute is that a person from Great Britain coming to this country must pay 2/- to get back into Northern Ireland after 12 o'clock; he does not have to pay it to his own customs authorities but has to pay it to this Government. Surely it will be accepted that 99 per cent of the people who cross the Border are legitimate traffic, crossing the Border for pleasure, while the one per cent do not have to pay the 2/- but can use non-approved roads and other means of crossing the Border? The whole customs regulations are geared in the wrong direction.
This is an argument from start to finish.
If the controls were abolished, the 99 per cent and one per cent might change radically.
I propose to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.
Is the amount of money so collected sufficient to pay for the overtime involved in manning these posts?
That is the purpose of it.
Is it sufficient?
I have no note of that, but if the Deputy puts down a question, I can answer it.
I thought it was part of the policy of Fianna Fáil to do away with the Border. What has happened? Partition has become a dirty word.