Edward Nealon
Question:67 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the conditions attaching to career breaks for civil servants; and the total number of officers who have taken career breaks up to the end of 1990.
Written Answers. - Civil Service Career Breaks.
The conditions currently applying to career breaks for civil servants are as follows: Eligibility: In order to be considered for a career break an officer is required to have satisfactorily completed two years service and must be under the minimum retirement age. The duration of a career break may not extend beyond minimum retirement age. The granting of a career break is subject to the exigencies of the work and certain grades with specialist skills have been excluded from the scheme. Purpose and Duration: Career breaks are available for domestic responsibilities, further education or a stay abroad. A career break consists of special leave without pay for a period of not less than one year and not more than five years. It is possible to extend a career break in six monthly periods or in periods in excess of six months provided the total period of special leave does not exceed five years in all. Additional Career Break: One additional career break may be granted provided the period of service between career breaks is equal to the duration of the initial career break and that the total period of the special leave does not exceed five years in all. Return to duty: Officers returning to the civil service after a career break have a guarantee of reemployment in a relevant grade within the civil service, but not necessarily within their existing organisation, within a period of 12 months of the date on which they had planned to return to work.
The total number of civil servants who had taken career breaks up to the end of 1990 was 3,477.