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Departmental Policies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 June 2022

Thursday, 16 June 2022

Ceisteanna (211, 212)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

211. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that operate in direct contact with members of the public have policies in place for members of the public to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur on the property of his Department or each public body and agency under his remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31742/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

212. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit have policies in place for employees to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur involving other employees or members of the public or on the property of his Department or each public body and agency that operate under his remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31761/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that in 2015, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published a revised Dignity at Work Policy, Dignity at Work - an Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy for the Civil Service, which was developed in partnership between the Civil Service Management and Staff Unions. The revised policy, which applies to staff of the Department of Finance, aims to promote respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace. The policy also sets out the process of reporting such instances to a Designated Person. Along with the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour, all new entrants to the Department are provided with a copy of the Dignity at Work Policy and it is also brought to the attention of staff during the induction programme. The policy on bullying and harassment is also included in the Staff Handbook which is provided to all staff. All of these documents are available to the Department’s employees on the internal intranet site, as well as publicly on www.gov.ie.

My Department does not operate in direct contact with the public.

A number of the bodies under the aegis of my Department have direct contact with members of the public and some of these bodies have employees; they have advised the following:

The Central Bank has a wide range of people policies which are readily available on the Bank’s intranet and website. The Dignity at Work Policy and Charter would be the most appropriate policy in the context of sexual harassment. The section of the Bank’s website ‘Make a complaint against the Central Bank of Ireland’ provides detailed contact details and instructions for members of the public on how to make complaints.

The Central Bank provides staff, by way of secondment, to another of the bodies under the aegis of my Department, the Investor Compensation Company DAC (ICC). As such, the ICC is covered by the Bank’s policies.

The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is committed to protecting the dignity and respect of its employees and users of its services and understands its obligations under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2011 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 in this regard. The FSPO has adopted the central policy Dignity at Work - an Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy for the Civil Service, a key aim of which is to provide awareness regarding the steps which employees may take if they believe that they have been bullied, harassed, or sexually harassed. It also outlines the recommended procedures which should be followed by all parties to complaints regarding bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment and provides a clear reporting framework for any instances of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace.

The FSPO has also adopted the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour which outlines the standards expected of civil and public servants in the performance of their official duties. All staff receive training on these policies, which are publicly available, during the FSPO’s induction process. The FSPO has published its Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan (2022-2025), which sets out commitments and service standards in the delivery of its statutory remit. The FSPO is committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect between customers and employees. The FSPO has also commenced work on the development of a Safeguarding Policy, which will set out its commitment to safeguard any children, young people and vulnerable adults that come into contact with its services, and which will be published on the FSPO website in due course.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has an Employee Hand Book and HR Manual in place and adheres to the Dignity at Work - an Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy for the Civil Service for employees to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur in the workplace. The Fiscal Council is committed to developing and maintaining a positive work environment. An essential component of this is treating colleagues with respect and dignity. Breaches of this policy are not acceptable within the Fiscal Council. The Fiscal Council does not routinely provide services directly to the public and it would not be the case that members of the public would visit the office.

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has policies in place for employees to report instances of sexual harassment or assault. These policies are available on the NTMA internal intranet site and are accessible by all employees. The NTMA assigns staff to a number of other bodies under my Department’s remit, namely Home Building Finance Ireland, the National Asset Management Agency and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, all of which operate out of the Treasury Dock building which is not accessible to the public.

The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General operates under the framework of civil service policies and procedures including the Dignity at Work Policy - an Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy for the Civil Service . The Office also has an internal Speak Up policy and procedure where it commits to providing an environment which encourages all staff to voice any concerns they may have about wrongdoing in relation to any aspect of the way it does business or matters concerning personal conduct or behaviour. The Speak Up policy is accessible on the Office’s website at www.audit.gov.ie. The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General does not operate in direct contact with members of the public.

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners deals with allegations of sexual harassment or assault under the Dignity at Work – An Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy for the Civil Service . This policy aims to promote respect, dignity, safety, and equality in the workplace. Every member of staff should be aware that all forms of bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment are unacceptable, and every member of staff has a duty to behave in an acceptable and respectful manner. Revenue’s Employee Engagement Charter supports the policy by specifying that employees should treat everyone with courtesy and respect. Revenue’s policy on Protected Disclosure Reporting in the Workplace also covers the disclosure of information by employees in relation to various types of wrongdoing. This policy is available on the Revenue website.

The Dignity at Work Policy is made available to all staff in Revenue at induction and is also placed on their intranet. It is available to members of the public on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform website.

Revenue further advise that they operate in accordance with the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 which aim to protect individuals from discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment. Revenue’s Complaint and Review procedure provides an easily accessible route for a customer to complain about any aspect of their treatment. The procedure is available on Revenue’s website at https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/documents/customer-service/cs4.pdf. In line with its commitment to protect and respect equality and human rights in accordance with Public Sector Duty principles, Revenue publishes data on the numbers of complaints, including those to the Ombudsman, and reviews requested and those upheld relating to Equality and/or Human Rights.

The Tax Appeals Commission has a Complaints Procedures Policy in place which is accessible to members of the public on its website where any instance of sexual harassment or assault can be reported. A similar policy is available to its employees.

Question No. 212 answered with Question No. 211.
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