Vol. 530 No. 6
105 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which her Department intends to mark the family friendly workplace day on 1 March 2001; the initiatives she has in this area; and the way in which family friendly initiatives are being implemented for the staff in her Department. [4710/01]
My Department chairs and is actively involved in the National Framework Committee – NFC – under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The NFC comprises representatives from IBEC, ICTU, public sector employers and the Equality Authority. The NFC has responsibility for supporting and facilitating family friendly policies at enterprise level.
The following are some of the initiatives that the NFC is currently developing and implementing: preparation of an information brochure and guidelines, an advertising campaign to promote family friendly workplace day, bringing on line a website, www.familyfriendly.ie, for family friendly workplace policies and practices that I will launch on 1 March, 2001, organising four regional seminars on FFWA for employers and employees planned for April to June 2001, and developing a long-term FFWA strategy for the committee.
My Department currently offers the following working arrangements to facilitate staff in achieving a balance between their work life and their responsibilities outside the workplace. All the working arrangements listed are available to staff in my Department in accordance with the rules and conditions of the schemes. These are – flexitime: flexible working hours, job sharing: part-time working, term time leave: leave during the summer holiday period, worksharing: scheme to be introduced shortly significantly widening the range of part-time working available to staff, and career breaks. Staff of my Department are also entitled to the benefits of the statutory schemes such as maternity, adoptive and parental leave.
The Department of Finance has written to all Departments asking them to consider particular initiatives to mark family friendly workplace day and this matter is under consideration in my Department.
