Civil Service departments and offices have been working in line with Government Covid-19 guidance, which provided for home working to continue where possible.
The Government has now published Ireland’s plan for the next phase of the response to the pandemic - COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting. Under this plan, the advice to work from home unless absolutely essential to attend the workplace was withdrawn. This means that people could return to the workplace on a phased basis from 20th of September.
The Government has also confirmed its support of blended working in the Civil Service and, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is developing an overarching central framework to support consistency of implementation of blended working across the Civil Service.
This framework will inform the development of organization-level blended working policies tailored to the specific requirements of each Department/Office, whilst ensuring a consistency of approach across key policy areas.
The position in relation to the relevant bodies under the aegis of my Department is as follows:
Citizens Information Board (CIB): During the pandemic period, all employees of CIB worked remotely from home. In line with the DPER approach to supporting blended working in the public service, CIB has committed to developing a remote working policy in line with central arrangements.
Pensions Authority: All Pensions Authority employees continue to work primarily from home pending further guidance from DPER regarding a return to office. Currently all employees have full remote access to the Authority's data systems and all have access for video conferencing and online working.Where required, employees return to the office to undertake essential IT, administration and facilities management work. The Pensions Authority is currently developing it’s longer-term remote working policy and procedures in line with DPER guidance as it becomes available.
