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Departmental Agencies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 July 2012

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Questions (50)

Simon Harris

Question:

50 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Finance the procedures in place to manage sick leave in all agencies, offices or other bodies reporting to his Department, separate to individuals working directly for his Department; the combined number of sick days taken by staff in the agencies, offices or other bodies reporting to his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32560/12]

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Written answers

REVENUE COMMISSIONERS

Sick Leave is managed in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in accordance with the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 09/2010. Details are as follows:

2011

In respect of 6,488 serving staff (Head Count), a total of 68,975 sick days were taken. All sick days taken are included and counted in line with the Department of Finance Circular.

The cost of this was €10.3m. This cost does not take into account Illness Benefit reimbursed to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in respect of staff paying Class A PRSI.

91% of all sick leave taken was medically certified.

2012

The latest date for which data is available is 31 March 2012.

In respect of 6,159 serving staff (Head Count), a total of 16,419 sick days were taken. All sick days taken were included and counted in line with the Department of Finance Circular.

The cost was €2.7m. This does not take into account Illness Benefit reimbursed to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in respect of staff paying Class A PRSI.

91% of all sick leave taken was medically certified.

Calculation of total number of sick days and cost, is in accordance with the "Standard Framework for Reporting on Sickness Absence" provided for by Department of Finance Circular 09/2010.

Data in respect of 2011 sick leave was submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

NTMA

Total sick days taken by NTMA staff across all its business areas including NAMA were 790 in 2011 and 290 during the first quarter of 2012. This is equivalent to salary costs of €260,000 in 2011 and €95,000 for the first quarter of 2012 (based on total number of working days in the year/quarter and not adjusting for salary costs reclaimed through the PRSI system).

DISABLED DRIVERS MEDICAL BOARD OF APPEAL

There is an active sick leave policy in place for staff in the National Rehabilitation Hospital with Occupational Health support. These procedures are in line with other Public Sector bodies. Our sick leave policy and procedures assist the NRH to keep the level and frequency of absences to a minimum by adopting good management practices. The hospital also promotes the use of other staff support mechanisms through our Employee Assistance Programme. The Hospital requires staff, who are on sick leave, to report into the designated Line Management and HR Department in order to facilitate the monitoring and management of sick leave absence. Access to the Hospital Sick Pay scheme, which is at the discretion of the Hospital, is conditional on staff complying with the provisions of the sick leave policy and co-operating with any reasonable measures to facilitate their return to work.

There are two Whole Time Equivalent Staff assigned to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal. The combined number of sick leave days for this Department for 2011 and for 2012 to date totals 38.90 hours. The combined costing associated with the sick leave totals €1,448.00.

IRISH FISCAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

The staff of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council are all seconded from other organisations because it is operating on a non-statutory basis and cannot be an employer in its own right yet. Accordingly, applicable sick leave procedures are those in place in their employers. Once the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is established on a statutory basis, it will have direct procedures in place to manage sick leave, in line with public sector circulars. The combined number of sick days taken by staff in 2011 and to date in 2012 is 0.5 days. The financial cost of this is €111.

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