Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the systems his Department has in place for tracking absences from work for various reasons, for benchmarking them against best standards and for estimating the cost of cover or lost input as a result of these absences; and if he will present data for the most recent years on this matter. [39180/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My Department uses the Civil Service Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and time and attendance systems to record absence from work for whatever reason. A significant proportion of all absences relate to statutory entitlements or conditions of employment. In relation to these leave entitlements (annual leave, maternity leave, parental leave, carer's leave, force majeure leave, bereavement leave, etc.), the question of benchmarking against best standards does not arise. In relation to sick leave absence, the Comptroller and Auditor General is undertaking a Value for Money Audit on sick leave absence across the Civil Service and I look forward to reading his Report in due course. In the meantime, I am satisfied that my Department's level of sick leave absence at 4% is comparable with other public sector organisations.