Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Health 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. [31565/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The management of sick leave in my Department is regulated by Department of Finance Circular 9/2010 - Management of Sick Leave, which sets down specific procedures in this context. These include careful monitoring of sick leave, review meetings when staff return to work, reporting and liaison arrangements for staff on sick leave, and particular attention being paid to patterns of sick leave which are considered potentially problematic.

My Department has recently issued very clear guidelines setting out what is expected of staff, managers and the HR Unit, and the impact of current arrangements on sick leave rates will be carefully monitored.

The statistical information requested by the Deputy is set out as follows: