Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 September 2021
216. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff who are now back working on-site in the Passport Office; the number who are still working from home; when he plans to have the full complement of staff back into the office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44243/21]
View answerThe Passport Service scaled up operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”. In order to provide a safe working environment, staff who can work from home have done so to allow the Service to maximize operations on site. However, this number is extremely low as staff directly involved in customer service and the production of passports must work on site.
In August 2021, there were 519 staff assigned to the Passport Service. Of these less than 1% were working from home on a full time basis.
The Passport Service must remain in full compliance with the Work Safely Protocol which sets out obligations for employers and workers to put Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
The Passport Service engages in robust workforce planning on an annual basis in cooperation with the Public Appointments Service.
