Phil Hogan
Ceist:295 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider changing the terms of Civil Service employment that would allow staff to take leave of absence and continue to work in this jurisdiction [1944/03]
Written Answers. - Civil Service Employment.
The Civil Service currently makes provision for staff to avail of a leave of absence from their post in the Civil Service and continue to work in this jurisdiction in four main circumstances. These are set out as follows: (1) Special leave for the purposes of self-employment. (Department of Finance Circular 19/98: Special Leave without Pay for Career Breaks, paragraph 12) – a career break of up to three years may be granted for purposes of genuine self-employment provided there is no potential conflict of interest between the self-employment in which the officer proposes to engage and his-her position in the Civil Service. It also states that the officer should not undertake any consultancy work, or provide any service in return for payment, for his-her own Department or any other Department while on career break.
(2) Special leave to set up a business. (Statement of policy made in the Dáil on 1 June 1978; and Department of Finance Circular 19/98: Special Leave without Pay for Career Breaks, paragraph 13) – civil servants may also be granted special leave without pay, up to a limit of five years, for the purposes of starting up a new business with genuine employment potential. In order to qualify for such leave, proposals must be submitted to show that the establishment of the business will provide at least four new permanent jobs. The usual period allowed is one year but this may be extended if there is proof of the development of the business.
(3) Temporary staff transfers. (Department of Finance Circular 10/79: Temporary Staff Transfers (Lateral Mobility) within the Public Sector) – this scheme allows for the temporary transfer of middle management staff in the Civil Service to other parts of the public sector, inside or outside the State, and occasionally to the private sector. This scheme is intended to give civil servants an opportunity to broaden their skills and acquire new work experiences. Transfers are on a voluntary basis and will normally be of not less than six months and not more than two years' duration.
(4) Secondment of Civil Service staff to outside bodies. (Guidance note from Department of Finance) – civil servants can also avail of provisions for special leave with pay on secondment to outside bodies with close links to the Civil Service for a period of up to five years, during which time they retain the benefit of Civil Service status and continue to be eligible for promotion.
I am satisfied with the current arrangements providing for leave of absences to work in this jurisdiction and have no plans to introduce any additional arrangements.