Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 207: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the average level of absenteeism within her Department for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35797/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department monitors sickness absence in order to ensure the proper application of the sick leave regulations. Sickness absence for this purpose is measured in "duration days" (span of sickness absence from date of first absence to date of return to work) rather than actual working days lost.

Separately, my Department has begun detailed examination of sickness absence, applying international best practice principles. Our first such examination was done in respect of the calendar year 2007. According to this analysis, the percentage of working days lost in 2007 was 3.90%.

In response to the Deputy's question, we have reviewed the data for the years 2003 — 2006 inclusive. My Department has been able to ascertain that the equivalent figure for 2006 was 4.02%. Extracting similar information for the years 2003 to 2005 inclusive would be an extremely complex and time consuming process and would have to be done manually.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 208: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the average level of staff absenteeism within each of the agencies within her Department's remit for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35812/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The monitoring and measuring of levels of absenteeism within the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an administrative matter for the agencies themselves. I have no function in the day-to-day administrative matters carried out by each agency.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 209: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of staff within her Department who have availed of early retirement schemes in each of the past three years; the breakdown of such by the grade and age of the staff who availed of the schemes; the breakdown of the reason for granting early retirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35827/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The option of Cost Neutral Early Retirement was introduced in April 2005 and is available to staff who meet the eligibility criteria and are aged 50 to 59 if a preserved pension age of 60 applies or aged 55 to 64 if a preserved pension age of 65 applies.

The numbers availing of the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme in my Department over the last three years are listed on the following table. Due to the small numbers involved I consider it inappropriate to give details of the age of the officers involved. In all of the cases early retirement was granted as the applicants met the eligibility criteria as set out in Department of Finance Circular 10/2005: