Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 6

Written Answers. - Family-Friendly Work Practices.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

235 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science 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 and career breaks; and the number of staff who are currently availing of each of these options. [15250/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department has a range of family-friendly work options already available to staff and any new schemes which are introduced for civil servants will be made available to staff at the earliest opportunity. The work options in place are flexitime, job sharing, term-time leave and career breaks.

There are 772 members of staff currently availing of flexitime, 65 availing of job sharing, no staff are job splitting or on part-time work, 25 will avail of term-time leave from summer 2001, no staff have availed of alternative work arrange ments and 35 are on career break. Civil servants are also entitled to the benefits of the statutory schemes such as maternity, adoptive and parental leave.