I propose to take Questions Nos. 561, 572 and 573 together.
The special Incentivised Career Break Scheme was announced in April 2009. To avail of this scheme, a career break of special leave without pay had to be taken for three years. The scheme provides for the payment of one third of gross pay to a maximum of €12,500 per annum to successful applicants. These amounts are reduced pro rata for any person on reduced working hours under worksharing arrangements and the amount payable is subject to tax and other statutory deductions.
My Department was established in June 2011 and involved the bringing together of civil servants from four different Departments. As such, a number of staff availing of career breaks at that time from the work areas due to transfer to my Department became the responsibility of the new Department. There were 4 such staff availing of the Incentivised Career Break at the time. Two of these were due to resume their career in August 2012. One has resigned from the service and the other is due to resume employment later this month. The remaining two are not due back until early 2013. The payroll saving in relation to these career breaks is estimated to be €0.239 million. If all three remaining staff were to resume employment, their full year salary costs would be in the region of €0.120 million.
In addition to the above, there are two staff on career breaks from the Children Detention Schools, one of which is an Incentivised Career Break. The payroll saving in relation to the Incentivised Career Break is estimated at €0.105 million and the full year salary should that person resume employment would be in the region of €0.048 million. Similarly, there are two staff on career breaks in the Family Support Agency, one of which is an Incentivised Career Break. The payroll saving in relation to this is estimated at €0.076 million and associated full year salary cost if they resume will be €0.038 million.
Staff on career breaks are not replaced and work is re-organised and prioritised to cope with the absence. Staff on career break, or indeed any other form of unpaid leave, are not counted in staff census during the absence.