Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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723. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to restore leave to frontline workers who had to use it to provide childcare, particularly for couples who both worked on the frontline and used their leave to ensure one parent was always available to provide childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17095/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during COVID-19 in relation to working arrangements across the Public Service were prepared by DPER and circulated to all public health sector employers. This guidance set out arrangements in relation to those employees who have caring responsibilities.

HSE managers were advised to facilitate staff with caring responsibilities to attend work and/or work from home in a flexible manner to greatest extent possible, and a range of additional flexible work patterns, changes to rosters, remote working, changes to parental leave arrangements and other adjustment measures are available to staff.

The HSE further clarified on 29 April by way of circular to their managers setting out that if employees cannot work outside the home and cannot perform their current role remotely, the employee is still to be considered as actively on duty and available to work from home, and may be assigned work outside the employee’s usual core duties.

Childcare needs were and are facilitated for essential workers without the requirement to take annual leave.

I have also asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.