Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason civil service staff in her Department in non-public facing units are refused the option to work from home or have been brought back to work despite the country still being in lockdown. [17319/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is committed to protocols which provide for a safe working environment for all staff in line with The Resilience and Recovery Plan 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 and the Guidance for Public Service Employers during COVID-19 from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

In order to provide essential services to customers, some level of office attendance is required by staff (in both public and non-public facing roles) and the Department works in consultation with staff, unions and health and safety representatives to ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place and adhered to by staff and customers.

A majority of the Department's staff are, at any time, working from home, either full-time or in a blended working pattern and, where possible, staff are rotated in roles which require office attendance.