Wednesday, 5 Oct 2022

Written Answers Nos. 31-46

Cabinet Committees

Ceisteanna (44)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

44. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland will next meet. [48473/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

The Cabinet Committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland operates in accordance with established guidelines for Cabinet Committees and where appropriate, substantive issues are referred to Government for discussion and approval.

The Cabinet Committee oversees implementation of relevant Programme for Government commitments in the area of Brexit and Northern Ireland, and ongoing relevant developments.

The Committee was formally established by Government on 6 July 2020, and had its first meeting on 29 October 2020. The Cabinet Committee last met on 27 June 2022. The next meeting remains to be scheduled.

In addition to meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland, relevant matters are also discussed at meetings of the full Cabinet.

Flexible Work Practices

Ceisteanna (45)

Michael McNamara

Ceist:

45. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Taoiseach the number of persons within his Department who are working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis in County Clare in tabular form. [48743/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

My Department's offices are located in Dublin. According to current records, no staff of my Department are working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis in County Clare.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of the staff in my Department have been working from home since March 2020 with some business units maintaining a continuous on site presence throughout due to the nature of their work supporting the essential operation of Government Buildings to support the work of the Taoiseach and Government.

A phased return to the workplace has been underway since the easing of restrictive measures earlier this year. The current working arrangements require staff to attend on site at least 2 days per week. In line with the rest of the Civil Service, my Department is in the process of finalising its blended working policy for the longer-term which will be implemented in the coming weeks.

This policy is being guided by the Central Policy Framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will set out the application process by which staff of my Department can formally request blended working arrangements. In the meantime, remote working alongside attendance on site will continue in line with business needs.

Under my Department's Blended Working Policy, staff will be required to designate a single address and workstation that meets the required health and safety standard when working remotely.

Departmental Contracts

Ceisteanna (46)

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

46. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach the details of any contracts or services procured by his Department with top security, including any that are subcontracted to top security; the value of such contracts since 2015 to date [49006/22]

Freagraí scríofa

The Taoiseach

My Department has not procured any services, either directly or through subcontractors, with the company in question.