The Career Break Scheme in the Civil Service is covered by Circular 4 of 2013. https://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/per/2013/04.pdf
Under the terms of the Scheme, a career break consists of special leave without pay for a period of:
(a) not less than six months and not more than five years for the following reasons:
- Family reasons
- Other domestic reasons
- Travel
- Educational purposes (educational purposes may include training courses with a practical training element for which there is a nominal payment/grant made to the student), and
(b) not less than six months and not more than three years for the purpose of taking up employment in the private sector or becoming self-employed.
Working in the wider public service is excluded under the Scheme. Mobility between the civil service and public service is covered by separate secondment arrangements.
I have no plans to amend the Scheme as this point in time.
The number of civil servants commencing a career break from 2016 to date are set out below.
Year
|
Nos.
|
2016
|
181
|
2017
|
145
|
2018
|
190
|
2019
|
157
|