Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 4

Written Answers. - Special Leave Scheme.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

20 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Finance the circular number and titles of each scheme for the provision of special leave to civil servants; the relevant criteria on leave arrangements for each such scheme; whether his attention has been drawn to the inconsistent treatment of similar grades in central Government Departments in this area; the departments or offices which have declined to release staff for reason of the exigencies of the public service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Finance (Mr. A. Reynolds)

The circulars on the provision of special leave for civil servants are as follows:

Circular 22/62:	Special leave for instruction in Civil Defence
Circular 12/68:	Special leave without pay for cultural and educational purposes
Circular 51/78:	Leave for attendance at training with the reserve Defence Forces
Circular 8/79:	Special leave for domestic reasons
Circular 14/80:	Special leave for non-full time representatives of staff associations or unions
Circular 16/80:	Paid study leave for second level examinations
Circular 38/81:	Paid study leave for third level examinations
Circular 7/82:	Special leave with pay on marriage
Circular 20/83:	Special leave for adoptive mothers
Circular 28/86:	Special leave without pay for career breaks
Circular 2/88:	Amendments to job-sharing and career break schemes
Circular 6/88:	Amendment to paid study leave arrangements.

Apart from the schemes covered by the above circulars special arrangements exist for the grant of special leave for the following purposes: to take up a position with European Communities or other international organisations; to serve overseas with missionary or charitable organisations; to serve with voluntary social, cultural or charitable organisations in this country; for isolation after contact with infectious diseases; for short term assignments to other public sector organisations; for court attendance, for members of local authorities to attend meetings; to represent Ireland at major international sporting events abroad; and to set up an employment generating scheme in Ireland.

While each individual scheme includes specific qualifying conditions, the over-riding criteria which apply to special leave schemes in general are, as follows: the grant of special leave must at all times be subject to the exigencies of the public service; the purpose for which special leave is granted must be compatible with the recipient's position in State employment; and civil servants on special leave retain their civil service status. During the period of special leave they remain subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Regulations Acts, 1956 and 1958, and any other regulations governing the conduct of civil servants particularly those relating to civil servants and politics.

As the grant of special leave must be subject at all times to the exigencies of the work this may result in certain grades within a particular Department or Departments being excluded from the purview of such special leave schemes from time to time.

Departments or offices have the delegated power to refuse special leave arrangements to staff because of the exigencies of the work either at their own discretion or in consultation with my Department depending on the nature of the special leave being sought. Accordingly, it is not possible to say in respect of special leave schemes generally which individual departments or offices have declined to release staff because of the exigencies of the work.