Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons employed in her Department that have a formal agreement to work from home one day per week, two days per week and five days per week; her Department’s policy in respect of facilitating requests by persons to work from home; and the number of persons that have made requests to work from home in 2021 and to date in 2022, that have been declined. [44576/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A phased return to physical attendance in the workplace commenced for staff members in my Department following the easing of Government restrictions earlier this year. The majority of staff of my Department are currently attending the office for a minimum of two days per week and working remotely for the remaining days.

Following the publication of the Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service by my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department has developed a draft blended working policy based on the overarching framework, tailored to its business requirements. Consultation on this policy is currently underway with staff representatives. Once agreed and rolled out, staff members will be eligible to make applications to work remotely for a number of days per week. This will require the approval of line management, in line with the parameters set out in the Department’s blended working policy in relation to the maximum number of remote working days permitted.

As per the overall Framework and in line with the Department’s policy, staff members will not be permitted to work 100% remotely and managers will be instructed not to facilitate that form of working arrangement.