Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

263. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total number of persons who are employed by his Department; the number who are currently working remotely; and the estimated number of persons in his Department who ordinarily worked from home prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. [33978/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There were 1,522 staff employed in my Department at the end of May 2022. 

The vast majority of staff worked remotely in line with COVID-19 restrictions since end of March 2020, attending the workplace only for essential business purposes. Since the Government announced the lifting of restrictions in September 2021 to allow for a phased return to physical attendance in the workplace, staff in my Department have resumed attendance. Staff are now generally attending on a 2 days a week basis, as part of the transition back to the workplace, subject to prevailing public health advice.

A small number of staff (fewer than 10) who are considered extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 (as per the HSE guidelines) have, in line with the Chief Medical Officer’s advice, been granted permission to remain working at home temporarily. This temporary arrangement will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with the prevailing public health advice.   

A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service has been developed and was published by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 31 March 2022. The term blended working refers to a combination of working from the employer’s work premises and working remotely. This framework will ensure a consistency of approach across Government Departments and Offices. 

The framework has informed the development of organisation-level blended working policies tailored to the specific requirements of Departments, and my Department's policy will be finalised by the end of June. It is intended to offer employees of my Department with qualifying roles, performance, and remote workstations, the option to apply for blended working, later in 2022. 

Three members of staff ordinarily worked from home prior to the start of the pandemic.