Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

With regard to child care and the Taoiseach's Department, have his staff indicated any interest in or must they apply for the use of crèche facilities that are coming on stream in Kildare House? Is that a facility that will be available to the Taoiseach's Department and what is the expected completion date?

Are details available of staff in flexitime, part-time or work sharing arrangements in the interests of child care? Will the Taoiseach provide the House with those figures now or obtain that information? It would be interesting to compare his Department with other areas of the Civil Service.

The Taoiseach mentioned, in reply to Deputy Ó Caoláin, that leave of eight, ten or 13 weeks is allowed to tie in with school holidays. Is there any other leave facility staff can take which might appear to be a career break but is in effect parental leave? For example, is taking a year off for child rearing among the child care facilities available within his Department?

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