Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 6

Written Answers. - Family-Friendly Work Practices.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

169 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children his Department's policy on family friendly work options; if he will report on which of the following are available to staff: flexitime; job sharing; job splitting; part-time work; term-time work; alternative work arrangements; career breaks; and the number of staff who are currently availing of each of these options. [15244/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The Department of Health and Children fully supports a family friendly working environment. We provide a number of family friendly working arrangements which the Deputy has mentioned. The following schemes are available to staff within my Department. Flexitime is available for staff up to and including the grade of HEO. Flexible hours of attendance are available around two core attendance times of 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Agreement has recently been reached with general council to extend the current flexible working bands of 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in recognition of commuting difficulties and other commitments of staff; my Department will shortly introduce the wider bands. Up to 11.5 hours credit may be worked up in a particular flexi period and carried forward to the next period and taken as leave. The number of staffing members using the flexi system is approximately 400 at present.

The job sharing scheme allows staff within the Department to work half the normal weekly hours of attendance. Normally a job sharing partner is required but this is not essential. We endeavour to facilitate everybody who seeks this work option. The number availing of this service is 62 at present. The job sharing scheme will shortly be enhanced to operate as the Civil Service worksharing scheme, allowing for up to 28 different work patterns, further supporting a family friendly working environment.

Term time leave has been available in my Department since the summer of 2000. Term time leave allows staff to take either ten or 13 weeks unpaid leave from June until the end of August. To be eligible the civil servant must have a child or children, up to 18 years of age, be acting inloco parentis or be the primary carer of a person with a disability who needs care on a continuing or frequent basis. The number of staff availing of the service this summer is ten.

At present, some staff members of my Department are availing of parental leave. Leave of up to 14 weeks for each child born since December 1993 is available to parents or guardians. Many different work patterns are used to avail of the entitlement, for example, four day week, three day week, mornings only or week/s at a time. My Department is flexible to whatever patterns are requested and sanction is given in all cases. The number of staff who have availed of this leave to date is 27.

Career breaks may be taken for periods from between six months and five years. A career break may be allowed for child care or domestic reasons, educational purposes or travel abroad. An officer availing of the career break scheme may not take up paid employment within the State. An officer may take a career break of up to three years for self-employment where there is no conflict of interest with their position in the Civil Service. The number availing of this scheme is 23 at present.

The Department offers the usual statutory entitlements which are in existence to all staff including maternity and adoptive paid and unpaid leave, parental leave as above and paternity leave.