Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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79. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of jobs or job opportunities in the public sector that require the Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of continued employment or potential employment. [54802/21]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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80. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons in the public sector, by discipline such as health, agriculture and so on, who have resigned or have had employment terminated as a result of a refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccine or to disclose their vaccination status, respectively. [54803/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 80 together.

Firstly, I encourage as many people as possible to take up their COVID-19 vaccinations when offered.

As per recent advice from the Data Protection Commission, employers should only process COVID-19 vaccination data where necessary to achieve a specific, legitimate purpose in line with general and sector-specific public health advice.  

The Work Safely Protocol states that the decision to get a vaccine is voluntary and that individuals will make their own decisions in this regard. The full suite of measures to maintain workplace safety should be considered by employers before making any assessment as to whether knowledge of vaccination status is necessary. COVID-19 vaccination in general would not be considered a necessary workplace safety measure for many workplaces or roles. However, there may be specific employment contexts where knowledge of vaccination status may be deemed necessary, subject to a risk assessment and with reference to sector-specific public health guidance. Employers are required to deal with these matters on a case-by-case basis. As a result, the data requested by the Deputy is not available centrally from my department.

In order to assist civil and public service organisations with their work-related obligations during COVID-19, the Civil Service HR Policy Division within my Department regularly issues Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during Covid-19, which can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/news/092fff-update-on-working-arrangements-and-leave-associated-with-covid-19-fo/. This document is regularly updated to reflect any changes in public health guidance and government policy. Section 1.1 of this document, which is based on public health advice and the Resilience and Recovery Plan 2021, provides guidance for employers in relation to who should attend the work premise during the pandemic. In line with public health advice, a cautious and careful return to workplaces should take into account appropriate attendance levels, with the use of staggered arrangements such as non-fulltime attendance and flexible working hours. Additionally the advice is that all existing infection prevention and control measures, (such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, face coverings, adequate ventilation), and working from home unless an employee’s physical presence in the workplace is for specific business purposes, must also remain in place for individuals even following their vaccination.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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81. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has issued advice to other Departments and or Ministers regarding the phased return of civil servants to the Department office environment; and if he has made provision for the non-return of those who are clinically vulnerable and-or compromised in the context of Covid-19. [54866/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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84. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the advice he has issued to Departments in respect of the return to work of civil servants in their respective offices; if he has made provision for those who are clinically vulnerable and-or compromised regarding contracting Covid 19; if he has provided for civil servants who require medical consultations in order to demonstrate that they cannot return to the office in the context of rising case volumes of Covid-19 here; if he has consulted with the Chief Medical Officer in this regard; and, if so, if he will publish and-or provide those advices. [54865/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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85. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he has taken to ensure that persons with a disability and-or who are immune compromised can return to departmental offices safely in the context of Covid-19; if he has, without prejudice and-or sanction arrangements in place in order for these cohorts to continue working from home in the context of rising case numbers; and if he has considered a reversal on the full return to the office by staff. [54879/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 84 and 85 together.

Decisions in relation to those who are required to attend the workplace during COVID-19 is a matter for individual employers.

In order to assist civil and public service organisations with their work-related obligations during COVID-19, the Civil Service HR Policy Division within my Department regularly issues Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during Covid-19, which can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/news/092fff-update-on-working-arrangements-and-leave-associated-with-covid-19-fo/. This document is regularly updated to reflect any changes in public health guidance and government policy. Section 1.1 of this document, which is based on public health advice and the Resilience and Recovery Plan 2021, provides guidance for employers in relation to who should attend the work premise during the pandemic. In line with public health advice, a cautious and careful return to workplaces should take into account appropriate attendance levels, with the use of staggered arrangements such as non-fulltime attendance and flexible working hours, and that attendance is for specific business requirements only.

The Guidance and FAQs for Public Service Employers during Covid-19, provides advice for high risk & very high risk categories of employees specifically under 2.1 and 2.2 in relation to their attendance in the workplace:

- FAQ 2.1 notes that in relation to those at high risk of illness from COVID-19, “Employers should continue to facilitate this group where possible in terms of flexible working arrangements, including working remotely where such arrangements are appropriate to the business needs”.

- FAQ 2.2 notes that in relation to who are at very high risk, “Employees should declare to their employer if they believe that they are at very high risk of COVID-19. Please refer to the HSE website for more information. The employer’s Occupational Health service should be consulted for employees in the very high risk category, or to determine if an employee falls into this category, and to advise on whether the employee can attend the work premises. The Civil Service CMO advises that as our knowledge of COVID-19 has increased, some conditions that previously placed employees in the very high risk category now place them in the high risk category or in some instance in the normal risk category. In addition an employee’s risk categorisation may now have changed due to vaccination and/or history of recent confirmed COVID infection”.

The Office of the Civil Service Chief Medical Officer (CMO) conducts COVID -19 risk assessments when requested by the Civil Service employing organisation. This includes referrals where the employer is advised whether the employee is at general population or normal risk/higher risk/very high risk from COVID-19. This COVID -19 risk assessment follows the risk categorisation guidance developed by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The decision on the employee’s place of work following this CMO risk categorisation is made by the employer in consultation with the employee, not the Civil Service CMO.

In terms of those with a disability, requests for a remote/blended working arrangement as a reasonable accommodation should be dealt with under the usual process as employers across the Civil Service continue to provide reasonable accommodations to staff who have a disability so that they can participate and advance in their employment.