asked the Minister for the Public Service (a) if he will give details of the number of civil servants and their grades and sex: (1) who have applied for job-sharing posts; (2) who are now job-sharing; and (3) who have been refused job-sharing and the reasons; (b) whether there are any Departments who have deliberately excluded particular grades; what those grades are; and the reasons for their exclusion; and (c) whether he is satisfied that such exclusions confirm to the scheme announced by his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Job-sharing in the Civil Service.
18.
The reply in relation to points (a) (1) and (2) of the question is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. The table is attached.
In relation to point (a) (3) of the question, under existing arrangements Departments are required to refer applications for job-sharing to my Department before refusal. Therefore, it would be incorrect to regard applications which have been refused in individual Departments as finally decided until such time as the approval of my Department has been obtained.
Under the arrangements referred to, however, one case involving two administrative officers in the Department of Finance has been referred to my Department. The issues involved are being considered in detail in conjunction with the Department of Finance, with a view to seeing what can be done to facilitate the staff concerned.
In relation to point (b) of the question, problems have arisen regarding the inclusion of the diplomatic grades in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the administrative officer grade in the Department of Finance in the job-sharing scheme. My Department are in consultation with the Departments concerned with a view to establishing what can be done to overcome the problems.
As to point (c) the job-sharing scheme as announced by my Department is open to all grades in all Departments and, in this context, I am anxious to ensure that Departments make every effort to facilitate all applicants for job-sharing. The unnecessary exclusion of certain grades from job-sharing would obviously not conform to either the objectives or the spirit of the scheme. Nevertheless, in any scheme of this type problems of an exceptional nature may arise which require special consideration. The intention would be that as far as possible no person would be precluded from working on a job-sharing basis if that person so wished and that no grade should be excluded from the scheme unless there are compelling reasons for doing so.
Number of serving Civil Servants and their grades and sex who have applied for job-sharing posts and who are now job-sharing — Position on 31 October 1985
A General Service Grades
|
Grade |
Total Applications |
Sex |
Number Job-sharing |
|
|
M |
F |
|||
|
AP |
1 |
1 |
||
|
HEO |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
AO |
2 |
2 |
||
|
EO |
38 |
3 |
35 |
23 |
|
SO |
24 |
24 |
11 |
|
|
CO |
74 |
2 |
72 |
51 |
|
CA |
174 |
1 |
173 |
97 |
|
Total |
318 |
7 |
311 |
186 |
B Departmental Grades
|
Department |
Grade |
Total Applications |
Sex |
Number Job-Sharing |
|
|
M |
F |
||||
|
Labour |
Industrial Inspector Grade II |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Placement Officer |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Education |
Assistant editor |
1 |
1 |
||
|
DPS |
CO Programmer |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Senior Computer Operator |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Fisheries and Forestry |
Laboratory Technician |
||||
|
Revenue |
Inspector of Taxes (Higher Grade) |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Inspector of Taxes |
6 |
1 |
5 |
||
|
Higher Tax Officer |
22 |
3 |
19 |
12 |
|
|
Tax Officer |
28 |
28 |
20 |
||
|
Telephonist |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Indoor Officer |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Assistant Officer |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Departmental CO |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Departmental CA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
||
|
Social Welfare |
Social Welfare Officer |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Agriculture |
Seed Analyst |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Serological Assistant |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Laboratory Technician |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Agricultural Officer |
2 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Oireachtas |
Junior Clerk |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Total |
87 |
11 |
76 |
39 |
In addition to the number of serving civil servants who opted for job-sharing, the Civil Service Commission has to date recruited a total of 122 staff on a job-sharing basis (59 CA, 45 CO, 18 EO).
Total Job-Sharing
|
General Service Grades |
186 |
|
Departmental Grades |
39 |
|
Job-Sharing Recruits |
122 |
|
Total |
347 |
(1) The figures are for the latest date for which returns are available (31 October 1985).
(2) The uneven figures are caused by the fact that some staff who commence job-sharing leave for various reasons (e.g. resignation, promotion).
(3) Records are not kept of the sex of those who actually commence job-sharing.
In reply to a number of questions from me and also in the national plan, the Minister mentioned the introduction of a job-sharing career break scheme in the Civil Service, the object of which is to increase employment possibilities in the public service. On other occasions the Minister spoke of the helpful attitude of the Departments, the most recent occasion being in a Dáil debate on 4 December last. In the case of the two administrative officers who applied for job sharing on 16 November 1984 the Department of the Public Service have been involved since 14 February 1985. As tomorrow in 14 February 1986 I must point out to the Minister that there is little point in his Department getting involved if they have not done very much about the case one year later. Will the Minister give an indication to the House whether the two administrative officers being blocked by the Department of Finance, with or without the assistance of the Department of the Public Service have a justifiable case. They are females. Will the Minister undertake to direct the Department of Finance to allow those women career breaks?
Whether the officers are male or female is irrelevant.
I am afraid it is not.
The Deputy is wrong in imputing that the job sharing arrangement has not occurred through the assistance of my Department. I suggest that he might take the matter up with the Minister for Finance directly.
The Minister stated that Departments have to send proposals to his Department to get an answer. On several occasions the Minister informed us that all grades within the Department of the Public Service are entitled to apply for job sharing and I should like to know why, 15 months after they applied, the two administrative officers have not been given permission to job share.
I am afraid the Deputy has misunderstood slightly the reply. It stated that Departments are required before refusal to get sanction from my Department. No Department received that sanction, and, consequently, the question of approval is a matter the Deputy might more expeditiously take up with the Department concerned.
The last time I tried that I received a letter from the Secretary of the Department almost condemning me and I am sure I will receive a similar reply if I write now. Will the Minister put on the record of the House that he feels these officials should be allowed to participate in the job sharing scheme?
Yes.