Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2012
561. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff in her Department or agencies under her control that are currently on career break; the number of staff currently hired temporarily to cover those on career break; if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers by grade and agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44362/12]
View answer572. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff that availed of the special civil service incentive career break scheme 2009; the cost of the scheme since its introduction; the savings on the pay bill in that time period; the estimated full year cost for the return of all the new civil servants in 2013; the number of staff members that applied for a further extension of their leave; if these staff were counted as a reduction in numbers employed in the public service during that time period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45605/12]
View answer573. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff across the public service that are currently on a career break; if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers on career leave by Department and agency; the estimated cost of this scheme per year; the number of staff currently hired temporarily to cover those on career break; the reforms that have taken place in this general area in the past year; if these staff were counted as a reduction in numbers employed in the public service during that time period [45620/12]
View answerI 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.
