Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Sep 1997

Vol. 480 No. 6

Written Answers - Civil Service Conditions.

Dick Spring

Ceist:

207 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Finance the circumstances, if any, in which a civil servant, who is appointed in an unestablished capacity due to medical factors and is subsequently appointed in an established capacity, may have his or her probationary period backdated to the initial date of appointment in an unestablished capacity, or otherwise shortened or waived, having regard to his or her overall service record and circumstances. [14478/97]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy):

Instances such as that described by the Deputy are relatively rare and circumstances differ from case to case. It is a matter for each Department or Office to determine how best to handle such cases as they arise.

As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware a high level group is currently formulating comprehensive proposals for the detailed implementation of the recommendations relating to human resources set out inDelivering Better Government. I understand that among the issues to be considered by the group is the question of probation. It is reasonable to assume that in such a broadly based review the issue raised by the Deputy will be addressed.