Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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380. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of staff in his Department on sick leave between March and September by month in 2019 and to date 2020; the pay arrangements that exist for staff on sick leave for an extended period of time; the number of sick days accounted for by his Department over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28938/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations 2014 (as amended by the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2015) set out the terms of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.

The scheme provides for the payment of the following to staff during periods of absence from work due to illness or injury:

- A maximum of 92 days on full pay in a rolling one year period

- Followed by a maximum of 91 days on half pay in a rolling one year period

- Subject to a maximum of 183 days paid sick leave in a rolling four year period.

Staff who exceed these limits may be entitled to Temporary Rehabilitation Remuneration (TRR), which is a calculated pension rate of pay, up to a maximum of 547 days under ordinary sick leave arrangements.

In recognition of the fact that, sometimes, a longer period of sick leave can be required to address a critical illness or serious physical injury, there is provision for the following Critical Illness Provisions (CIP) to apply in exceptional circumstances:

- A maximum of 183 days on full pay in a rolling one year period

- Followed by a maximum of 182 days on half pay in a rolling one year period

- Subject to a maximum of 365 days paid sick leave in a rolling four year period

There is access to TRR under the CIP as follows: 365 days on TRR and/or a further period not exceeding 730 days may be granted in cases where the Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that there is a reasonable prospect of return to work.

Details by month, of the number of staff in this Department on sick leave between March and September in 2019 and to date in 2020, and the number of sick days accounted for by this Department in the same period are set out as follows. Numbers given relate to full time equivalent staff (FTE).