Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken to facilitate remote working within her Department in particular to encourage remote working for those who live in the regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42715/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Since the onset of the public health emergency, my Department’s employees, in the main, have been working in a fully remote environment.  My Department has offices in Dublin, Kerry, Galway and Donegal and has provided IT support to enable employees working remotely.  All employees have also been advised and have access to a number of supports for health and safety ergonomic assessments, supports for psychological health and well-being and access to the Disability Liaison Officer. 

The Government has committed, in the Programme for Government, to mandating public sector employees to move to 20% home and remote working.  In line with this commitment, the Government is committed to developing models of flexible working for the Civil Service.   In that context, it is proposed that remote working will be facilitated on a blended basis, subject to the suitability of roles to be carried out remotely.   A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised over the coming months which focuses on the longer-term approach to remote working across the Civil Service.

The Department is committed to implementing a policy of blended working that will ensure continued delivery of quality public services to Government, the public and business. Officials are developing an Interim Blended Working Policy to facilitate transition arrangements and blended working, following the announcement of public health measures to commence a gradual and staggered return to the office from 20 September 2021.

My Department will continue to provide employees with ongoing up-to-date guidance and supports on blended working arrangements.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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285. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way in which her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit are accommodating requests for persons to work from home. [42765/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Government has committed in the Programme for Government to mandating public sector employees to move to 20% home and remote working.  A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised over the coming months which focuses on the longer-term approach to remote working.  This framework will inform the development of organisation level blended working policies outlining principle which can be tailored to the specific requirements each Department/Office, whilst ensuring a consistency of approach across key policy areas and the wider public sector. 

My Department is committed to implementing a policy of blended working that will meet the needs of the Department to ensure continued delivery of quality public services to Government, the public and business.  It is proposed that remote working, post pandemic, will be facilitated on a blended basis, subject to the suitability of roles to be carried out remotely.

Officials in my Department are developing an Interim Blended Working Policy to facilitate transition arrangements to blended working in my Department, following the announcement of public health measures to commence a gradual and staggered return to the office from 20 September, 2021. My Department will continue to provide employees with ongoing up-to-date guidance and supports on blended working arrangements.

With regard to the Agencies under my Department’s remit, as this is an operational matter for the respective Agencies, I have forwarded your question to each Agency to reply directly to you on the matter.