Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo may extend their career break in her Department. [33539/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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All applications for leave, including career breaks, are a matter for local management to consider and approve subject to the business requirements of the area at the time. The officer concerned is not currently on a career break from her position in the Department. An application for a six month career break received by her local management in September 2011 was not approved because of business demands at the time and difficulties finding replacement staff due to the moratorium on recruitment. The officer subsequently applied for a leave absence of thirteen weeks from 18th January 2012 to 18th April 2012, under the Shorter Working Year (SWY) scheme which was approved by her local management. The SWY scheme provides for temporary cover for the period of the absence and a temporary officer was recruited for the period up to the 18th April. In addition, a period of eight weeks special leave without pay up to the 20th June 2012 was approved. Following this a period of annual leave was approved up to 6th July 2012. The officer was due to report for duty on 9th July 2012, however, she failed to do and has since informed her manager that she remains out of the Country. Accordingly, she has been removed from the payroll and HR division is examining her current position.

The Deputy will appreciate that the pressures of work in my Department are substantial and, while managers make every effort to ensure family friendly policies and facilitate staff, the needs of the customer must be seen as a major priority for the Department.