Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if civil or public servants seeking to relocate on compassionate grounds such as caring for an older person are likely to be accommodated by any arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3360/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Transfers for grades represented by the Civil and Public Services union (mostly Clerical and Staff Officers) are arranged in accordance with formal procedures agreed with the Staff Side at General Council under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the Civil Service. Officers in these grades seeking a transfer to another Department or location may apply to the Personnel Officer of the Department in which they wish to serve. The names of officers applying for transfer to a location are entered on the particular Department's transfer lists in the order in which they are received. Vacancies which arise are then filled by the Department concerned by reference to these lists.

Transfers for other grades can be arranged on an informal, head-to-head, basis. Such transfers are arranged between the officers seeking to move and the relevant Personnel Units and require the agreement of both Personnel Officers.

There are no formal arrangements in place within the Civil Service to address the issue of a transfer arising on compassionate grounds. Where such cases arise, the practice is to address them within the context of the transfer arrangements described above working with the relevant Personnel Units