Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if temporary contractors within the Civil Service will be paid for work hours missed during Storm Emma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12205/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the Protection of Employees (Fixed-term Work Act) 2003, a fixed-term employee cannot, in respect of his or her conditions of employment, be treated in a less favourable manner than a comparable permanent employee. A fixed-term employee can not be treated less favourably than a comparable permanent employee only because of the fixed-term worker’s status. The Act of 2003 applies to payment of staff during Storm Emma in the same way it applies to other conditions of employment.

Civil servants were paid during Storm Emma. Where a public office or service is closed by the employer on the basis that the risk is too great to the safety of the workforce and/or customers, staff cannot come to work.   

In addition, there were certain areas of the Civil Service where staff were required to be in work.  Also, in instances where facilities were available, many staff worked from home on the days that offices were closed.