Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if privilege days still exist in the civil service; if so, if these privilege days date back prior to independence such as a day off to celebrate the Sovereign's birthday and Empire Day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40130/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The position is that privilege days no longer pertain in the Civil Service and have been incorporated into the annual leave allowance of civil servants.

In the context of a more integrated public service, as set out in the Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2014, the issue of standardising annual leave arrangements across the public service was agreed between my Department and the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The revised annual leave arrangements will see:

- The abolition of historically based local leave arrangements such as for example festival and race days;

- Public service grades with a current annual leave allowance in excess of 32 days will be brought within that maximum commencing from January 2012 to coincide with the annual leave cycle as appropriate;

- All public service personnel will on recruitment or promotion be placed with immediate effect on a new standardised annual leave band with a maximum of 30 days.