Currently, there are 102 civil servants at my Department on maternity leave.
Where a member of staff avails of maternity leave it does not generate a vacancy within an office. Usually arrangements are made by local management to cover the essential duties of the official concerned. In the event an office/area has a particular difficulty in providing the required service due to staff on maternity or other leave the Personnel Section of my Department can re-assign staff from other office locations to address the matter.
Teaching and special needs assistants are exempt from the terms of the Department of Finance moratorium so that in the event a teacher or special needs assistant is absent on maternity or long term sick leave schools can engage the services of a replacement in order to retain continuity of tuition in the classroom.
In relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department I have requested officials to compile details of staff on maternity and other leave and I will forward this to the Deputy when it is to hand.