Vol. 396 No. 9
177 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the present position regarding job sharing in the nursing profession; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some nurses, at the end of the three year pilot period, are being advised that job sharing for nurses is no longer available in some hospitals; if he will ensure that those wishing to continue on job sharing programmes will be allowed to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
All persons serving in a full-time, permanent capacity having satisfactorily completed a probationary period are eligible to apply to their employing authority for permission to participate in a job sharing arrangement. The decision as to which individuals may be allowed to job share is a matter for the employing authority.
My Department have not been advised of the situation to which the Deputy refers. However, under the terms of the job sharing scheme, employing authorities reserve the right to require individual job sharers to resume duty on a full-time basis at any time.
It is not proposed to introduce a provision which would facilitate, without regard to the needs of the service, those wishing to continue job sharing to do so.
