Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2010
110 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons transferred to her Department when the National Council on Aging and Older People and the Women’s Health Council were subsumed into the Department in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38344/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra111 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children when the Children Acts Advisory Board will be subsumed into her Department; the number of staff that will be subsumed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38345/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 111 together.
The National Council on Ageing & Older People and the Women's Health Council were subsumed into my Department under the Government's rationalisation of agencies programme during 2009. In total, 13 individuals (11.5 whole-time equivalents) transferred to my Department as a result of this rationalisation.
The Children's Act Advisory Board is also being rationalised under this programme. Provisions to dissolve the Board are contained in the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009, which completed Second Stage in Dáil Eireann on 7 October 2010. I expect that this Bill will pass all stages by the end of 2010. In the meantime, staff of the Board were seconded across different areas of the public service to areas where their particular skill sets are most appropriate. Nine were seconded into my own Department, four were seconded to the HSE, and one each to Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Garda Civilian HR.
|
Agency |
Number of Persons Transferred/Transferring into Department (WTE) |
|
National Council on Ageing and Older People |
7.0 |
|
Women’s Health Council |
4.5 |
|
Children’s Act Advisory Board |
9.0 |
|
Total |
20.5 |
112 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children the status and duration of the incentivised scheme of early retirement; the date on which it was announced; the number of applications received for the incentivised scheme for early retirement; the number of applications approved for the ISER; the terms and conditions of this scheme; the categories of staff exempt from the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38346/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) was announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement of the 7th April 2009. The terms and conditions of the scheme are governed by Department of Finance Circular 12/2009. The purpose of the scheme is to facilitate the permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff serving in the civil service, local authorities, health sector and non-commercial state bodies, with associated restructuring of organisation and operations, in as timely a manner as possible.
Employees, 50 years of age and over by 1 September 2009 who had already accrued entitlement to preserved superannuation benefits under a public service scheme and who had not yet reached normal preserved pension age were eligible to apply for retirement under the scheme. The scheme was open to applications from 1 May 2009 until 23 October 2009. No categories of staff employed at my Department were excluded from applying under the scheme. In my Department, twenty eight members of staff applied and were approved under the scheme. Two of these subsequently withdrew their applications, resulting in twenty six retirements under the scheme (23.23 WTE).
In relation to the Health Service Executive, the terms and conditions of the ISER scheme were set out in Circular 8/2009 issued by my Department on 15 May 2009. This scheme did not apply to grades exempted from the moratorium on recruitment and promotions under the 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector in order to meet relevant requirements of integrated health care delivery and, in particular to address needs in the community in respect of care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Members of all other grades who met the eligibility criteria had access to this scheme provided the grades/staff groups concerned co-operated with the requirements in relation to redeployment, mobility, skill mix and flexibility. Because staff who availed of this scheme were not to be replaced (save in very exceptional cases), employers paid particular attention, when considering applications, to the scope that existed within the organisation for reorganising and restructuring work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. Staff cooperation and flexibility in that regard was essential. The closing date for applications was 23 October 2009.
My Department was informed that the health service trade unions had issued a directive instructing their members not to co-operate with redeployment and reassignment requests from management. This instruction from the unions severely restricted the ability of management to organise/restructure work practice and contravened the qualification criteria for these schemes. As a result, the HSE suspended the ISER scheme on 18 June 2009.
In February 2010 sanction was received from the Department of Finance for the implementation of the ISER in the public health sector for those applicants (employed in both the HSE and in voluntary service providers funded by it) who applied before the final closing date (23 October 2009) under the scheme and who were or would be approved under its terms. The HSE has advised that at the end of August there have been 633 applications and 260 of these have been approved. My Department has recently informed the HSE that a review of eligible applications which were refused/refused on appeal for stated business reasons may now take place. Reviews must be completed and all decisions communicated no later than 31 December 2010 and applicants approved under this process must retire no later than 31 January 2011. In relation to the non-commercial state agencies that come within the remit of my Department, one application was received and approved under the Incentivised Early Retirement Scheme.
113 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children the status and duration of the special incentive career break scheme; the date on which it was announced; the terms and condition of the scheme; the number of persons who have availed of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38347/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme was announced on the 30th April 2009 and was available for civil servants during 2009 only. The terms and conditions of the Scheme are governed by Department of Finance Circular 13/2009. To avail of this scheme, a career break of special leave without pay had to be taken for three years. The scheme provides for the payment of one third of gross pay to a maximum of €12,500 per annum to successful applicants. These amounts are reduced pro rata for any person on reduced working hours under worksharing arrangements and the amount payable is subject to tax and other statutory deductions. To-date, 10.5 wholetime equivalents (13 individuals) from my Department have availed of the Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme.
In relation to the Health Service Executive, the terms and conditions of the Special Incentive Career Break Scheme were set out in Circular 13/2009 issued by my Department on 15 May 2009. This scheme, along with the Incentivised Early Retirement Scheme and the Shorter Working Year Scheme did not apply to grades exempted from the moratorium on recruitment and promotions under the 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector.
Members of all other grades who met the eligibility criteria had access to these schemes provided the grades/staff groups concerned co-operated with relevant requirements in relation to redeployment, mobility, skill mix and flexibility. Because staff who availed of these schemes were not be replaced (save in very exceptional cases), employers paid particular attention, when considering applications, to the scope that existed within the organisation for reorganising and restructuring work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. Staff co-operation and flexibility in that regard was essential. The closing date for applications was 30 July 2009.
My Department was informed that the health service trade unions had issued a directive instructing their members not to cooperate with redeployment and reassignment requests from management. This instruction from the unions severely restricted the ability of management to organise/restructure work practices and contravened the qualification criteria for these schemes. As a result, the HSE suspended all three schemes on 18 June 2009. Following acceptance by the health sector unions of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, approval was given to the HSE by my Department in June 2010 to proceed with the lifting of the suspension of the scheme. Applicants, employed both in the HSE and in the voluntary service providers funded by it, who had applied before the original closing date of 1st July 2009 and were, or would have been approved prior to the scheme's suspension, could now be fully processed.
My Department has recently informed the HSE that a review of eligible applications which were refused/refused on appeal may now take place. Reviews must be completed and all decisions communicated no later than 31 December 2010 and applicants approved under this process must retire no later than 31 January 2011. The HSE has advised that at the end of August there have been 141 applications approved. In relation to the non-commercial state agencies that come within the remit of my Department, one employee availed of the Special Incentivised Career Break Scheme.
114 Deputy James Reilly asked the Minister for Health and Children the status and duration of the shorter working year scheme; the date on which it was announced; the terms and condition of the scheme; the number of persons who have availed of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38348/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Shorter Working Year Scheme was announced on the 30th April 2009 and commenced operation in my Department with effect from 1 January 2010. The purpose of the scheme is to permit civil servants to balance their working arrangements with outside commitments by taking periods of unpaid leave. The specific terms and conditions of the Scheme are governed by Department of Finance Circular 14/2009 and it provides for the taking of unpaid leave as a period of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 13 weeks (a maximum of 13 weeks applies per person). Any staff member, who is not on probation on the date where it is proposed to avail of the scheme, may apply. Forty-five staff members from my Department have applied to-date under the scheme and all bar one request was approved resulting in payroll savings of approximately €280,000 during 2010.
In relation to the Health Service Executive, the terms and conditions of the scheme are set out in Circular 10/2009 issued by my Department on 15 May 2009. This scheme, along with the Incentivised Early Retirement Scheme and the Incentivised Career Break Scheme did not apply to grades exempted from the moratorium on recruitment and promotions under the 2009 Employment Control Framework for the Public Health Sector. Members of all other grades who met the eligibility criteria had access to these schemes provided the grades/staff groups concerned cooperated with the relevant requirements in relation to redeployment, mobility, skill mix and flexibility. Because staff who availed of these schemes were not be replaced (save in very exceptional cases), employers paid particular attention, when considering applications, to the scope that existed within the organisation for reorganising and restructuring work in order to minimise the impact on essential service delivery. Staff cooperation and flexibility in that regard was essential.
My Department was informed that the health service trade unions had issued a directive instructing their members not to cooperate with redeployment and reassignment requests from management. This instruction from the unions severely restricted the ability of management to organise/restructure work practices and contravened the qualification criteria for these schemes. As a result, the HSE suspended all three schemes on 18 June 2009. Following acceptance by the health sector unions of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, approval was given to the HSE by my Department in June 2010 to proceed with the lifting of the suspension of the scheme. My Department has recently informed the HSE that a review of eligible applications which were refused/refused on appeal may now take place. Reviews must be completed and all decisions communicated no later than 31 December 2010. The HSE has advised that at the end of August there have been 12 applications approved. In relation to the non-commercial state agencies that come within the remit of my Department, to date ten staff have availed of the shorter working year scheme.
