The terms of the career break scheme are outlined in a series of circulars and official instructions to personnel officers. A copy of the relevant material has been sent to the Deputy.
There is no specific period of notice laid down centrally. Individual Government Departments may, if they wish, make local arrangements in relation to the procedures to be followed when applying for a career break. In general, it is in the interests of the person seeking the career break to give as much notice as possible to maximise his/her chances of being allowed to commence the career break on the date of his/her choosing. The minimum length of a career break is six months and the maximum permissible length is five years.
On expiry of the career break, an officer will be assigned to the next fillable vacancy arising in his/her grade in his/her parent Department. If there is no suitable vacancy, the parent Department should notify the Department of Finance so that the officer can be considered for assignment to another Department. An officer is guaranteed re-employment in the Civil Service within 12 months of the expiry of the career break.
An officer's annual leave allowance is reduced pro rata as appropriate in the leave year in which the career break commences and in the leave year in which the career break ceases, assuming the career break period spans two leave years and does not coincide exactly with the leave year. Annual leave is not granted to a person while on a career break.
The career break scheme is currently under review by the Department of Finance in consultation with the relevant staff interests, in accordance with a Government decision.
The terms of career break schemes, if any, in non-commercial State-sponsored bodies are a matter for those bodies.
