Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if an Office of Public Works employee receives an occupational injury the number of weeks full salary to which he or she is entitled. [43169/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I understand that the occupational injuries scheme which applies to the generality of the Civil Service applies to employees in the Office of Public Works.  It would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases.  In this context, my comments will be in relation to the general Civil Service scheme for occupational injuries.

Civil servants who have been classified as having an occupational injury will, generally, have access to the same paid sick leave limits as in the old sick leave scheme in the Civil Service (i.e. prior to 31 March 2014).  These limits amount to 6 months full pay followed by 6 months half pay in a rolling one year period, subject to a maximum of 365 days over 4 years.  When these limits have been reached, the officer may have access to paid sick leave at pension rate of pay (i.e. the amount a person has access to if they were granted ill health retirement). 

Any sick leave in relation to an occupational injury is ring-fenced from ordinary sick leave limits and is not included on an officer's sick leave record. 

The new Public Service Sick Leave Scheme commenced on 31 March 2014.  The new Scheme which was introduced by the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations 2014, reduced the access to ordinary sick leave.  The Regulations, however, expressly provided that they did not prejudice the rights and obligations under any occupational injury or illness scheme.  Therefore, the paid sick leave limits for occupational injuries were not affected by the introduction of the new Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.  Access for occupational injuries in the Civil Service remains the same as prior to 31 March 2014.