Vol. 505 No. 4
71 Mr. Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans, if any, in place to increase the availability of flexible working hours within her Department and in agencies under its auspices. [14007/99]
At present staff at clerical and executive grades in my Department may avail of flexi-time, which accounts for attendance between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. This is in accordance with rules agreed between the civil service unions and the Department of Finance.
Consideration is being given to extend the hours of attendance under flexi-time and my Department has expressed support for such an extension.
The Deputy will be aware that I have no function in the day to day running of the agencies associated with my Department.
72 Mr. Quinn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific plans, if any, she has to increase the availability of flexi-time to workers in the public and private sectors; if she will raise this during the course of the mid-term review of the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14045/99]
I have no plans concerning the availability of flexi-time to workers in the public or private sectors; any such working arrangements – if not already provided for in agreements at local level – are, in the normal course of industrial relations, a matter for negotiation between the employers concerned, and-or their representative organisations, and their workers, or, as appropriate, their representative organisations.
