Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 June 2012
236 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the procedures in place to manage sick leave in his Department; the sick leave entitlement in place in his Department; the combined amount of sick days taken by staff in his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31556/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSick leave policy for the Civil Service is determined centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).
Sick leave in my Department is managed and reported on as directed by Circular 09/2010 "Management of Sick Leave", as issued by DPER on 30th July 2010.
Sick leave entitlements of staff in my Department are the same as those that apply across the Civil Service generally and as detailed in Circulars 7/1978 and 25/1978: "Sick Leave" and 9/2004: "Sick Leave and the Organisation of Working Time Act".
A total of 30,796 days were lost to sick leave across my Department in 2011 with a corresponding cost of €4.6 million.
A total of 12,463 days have been recorded on my Department's HRMS system as being lost to sick leave to date in 2012, at a cost of €1.87million.
