Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the procedures in place to manage sick leave in his Department; the sick leave entitlement in place in his Department; the combined amount of sick days taken by staff in his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31570/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The procedures in place to manage sick leave in my Department are as per Department of Finance's 'Circular 09/2010: Management of Sick Leave', which is available on the Government website www.circulars.gov.ie at the following link: http://circulars.gov.ie/yearindex/2010/.

The sick leave entitlements in place in my Department are as per the the Department of Finance's 'Circular 25/1978: Sick Leave', which is also available on the Government website www.circulars.gov.ie at the following link:http://circulars.gov.ie/yearindex/1978/. The total number of sick days taken by staff in my Department in 2011 was 5,404 at an estimated cost of €934,000 and the total number of sick days taken in 2012 to end May is 1,700 at an estimated cost of €260,000. This represents a significant improvement in overall staff attendance, representing a reduction in excess of 20% on the number of sick leave absences when compared to the previous year 2010.