Vol. 487 No. 5
94 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Finance the total number of parents who have applied to job-share under the new scheme which allows for term-time working, mornings only and other job sharing options introduced in 1996; the number of women in this total figure; the number that are in Government Departments; the number in the wider public service; and the number that have been refused leave since the new arrangements were introduced. [4436/98]
A job sharing scheme was introduced in the Civil Service in 1984. No new options were introduced in 1996.
In 1997, the Government approved a number of changes to the general framework of the public service job-sharing schemes. The practical application of the new arrangements are to be worked out and discussed with the appropriate trade unions for each of the various public service organisations. The introduction of a broader range of job-sharing options such as a four day week or a three week month in the Civil Service is currently under consideration in conjunction with staff representatives. As the arrangements have not yet been finalised, there are as yet no statistics on the numbers who will participate.
The possibility of running a pilot scheme of term-time working, i.e. three months unpaid leave to care for young children during the summer of 1998, is currently under discussion with one of the larger Government Departments.
