Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff in his Department or agencies under his control that are currently on career break; the number of staff currently hired temporarily to cover those on career break; if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers by grade and agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44366/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff that availed of the special civil service incentive career break scheme 2009; the cost of the scheme since its introduction; the savings on the pay bill in that time period; the estimated full year cost for the return of all the new civil servants in 2013; the number of staff members that applied for a further extension of their leave; if these staff were counted as a reduction in numbers employed in the public service during that time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45609/12]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff across the public service that are currently on a career break; if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers on career leave by Department and agency; the estimated cost of this scheme per year; the number of staff currently hired temporarily to cover those on career break; the reforms that have taken place in this general area in the past year; if these staff were counted as a reduction in numbers employed in the public service during that time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45624/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 410, 447 and 448 together.

There are two different career break schemes in operation in my Department at present, special leave without pay for a career break as provided under Department of Finance Circular 18 of 1998, as amended, and the Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme 2009 introduced under the Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2009.

Staff of my Department may avail of special leave without pay for a career break as provided for under the Department of Finance Circular 18 of 1998, as amended. There is no cost to my Department to operate this scheme. The table below sets out the numbers and grades of staff currently on this scheme.

Note: These figures include 10 staff that extended their incentive career break to this career break scheme.

In addition, in 2009 the new Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme 2009 was introduced, under the Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2009, which required those who availed of this scheme to take a minimum period of a three year career break during which they would receive an incentive payment of 1/3 of their salary to a maximum of €12,500 p.a.

A total of 32 staff availed of this incentive scheme as set out by grade in the table below:

Note: This table reflects the change in configuration arising from the transfer of the heritage function to the new Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the transfer of the community functions to the Department in May 2011.

There are currently 18 staff still on the incentive career break scheme.

The payment for the incentive career break scheme is the only direct cost to the Department relating to the operation of this scheme. The costs along with salary savings for each year of the scheme are set out below.

Note: This table reflects the costs of the incentive scheme including pre and post May 2011 transfer of functions.

The estimated full year costs if all those who availed of the incentive career break scheme were to return to duty is some €1,484,000. To date 10 staff whose incentive career break scheme has expired extended their leave to the career break scheme under Circular 18 of 1998 and a further 4 will move to this scheme when their incentive career break expires.

Those who are on career break from my Department are not included in the numbers of staff serving and therefore are deemed to contribute to a reduction in the number of staff employed for the duration of their career break.

My Department does not employ temporary staff to cover the positions of those who are availing of career breaks. Internal staff assignments and redeployment, together with streamlining of business areas, are used to ensure optimum staffing in priority business areas. In addition, my Department has facilitated, within its authorised staff levels and budget provisions, the return to duty of a limited number of staff. Other staff have been redeployed to positions in other Departments.

The information requested, including cost for 2011, in respect of agencies under the aegis of my Department is set out in the table below.

None of the Agencies have hired temporary staff to replace those on career break.

Those on career break in the agencies are not included in the staff serving and are reflected a s a staffing reduction.