Civil Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2021

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

Questions (96)

Denis Naughten

Question:

96. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the actions taken to date on foot of the Budget 2020 announcement to review future workforce and office requirements for the Civil Service including the location of support offices and services to ensure consistency with the goals of Project Ireland 2040 and balanced regional development; the percentage of staff home and remote working on a permanent basis to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32378/21]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The Government, has committed, in the Programme for Government, to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working in 2021.

In this context, my Department is now, as a matter of priority, working with employers across the Civil Service to develop the longer term approach to remote working in the sector.

Different working models are possible, one of which is the concept of regional Government office “hubs”. Similar to many Government buildings in provincial towns, establishing well located departmental office hubs is certainly one option for consideration. Any decision to set up regional hubs requires: careful analysis of the most suitable locations; must meet the operational needs of Government Departments; and must be consistent with the National Planning Framework.

There is no central information on numbers of Civil and Public Servants currently working from home.