Written answers

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Public Service Staff

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a policy across the public service with regard to employees working from home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21857/12]

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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My Department has responsibility for e-working policy in the civil service. This is outlined in Circular 4/2003: Pilot schemes to promote e-working in the civil service. Most government departments introduced pilot e-working schemes.

In 2009, the Minister for Transport published "Smarter Travel: A Sustainable Transport Future " which represented a new transport policy for Ireland for the period 2009-2020. As part of the Smarter Travel Policy Framework, an interdepartmental working group, comprising of representatives from the then Departments of Transport, Finance, Enterprise Trade & Employment, Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment Heritage & Local Government, HSE and the Office of Public Works was established to consider how best to progress the issue of e-working in the civil and public service. The conclusion of that working group was that although e-working was technologically feasible, it was likely that progress would be (a) over the long term as the public service engages in a process of transformative change and (b) through the initiatives of individual departments or agencies in promoting e-working as an accepted practice.

The transformation agenda accepted by both parties to the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 recognises that previously agreed work-life balance policies and arrangements may need to be reviewed and revised in the context of more integrated public services operating with a reduced cohort of staff. Under any such review of these arrangements, options for e-working may be considered where feasible. This would be a matter for each public service body to consider in light of their own business requirements.

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