Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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45. To ask the Taoiseach the number of persons within his Department who are working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis in County Clare in tabular form. [48743/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's offices are located in Dublin. According to current records, no staff of my Department are working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis in County Clare.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of the staff in my Department have been working from home since March 2020 with some business units maintaining a continuous on site presence throughout due to the nature of their work supporting the essential operation of Government Buildings to support the work of the Taoiseach and Government.

A phased return to the workplace has been underway since the easing of restrictive measures earlier this year. The current working arrangements require staff to attend on site at least 2 days per week. In line with the rest of the Civil Service, my Department is in the process of finalising its blended working policy for the longer-term which will be implemented in the coming weeks.

This policy is being guided by the Central Policy Framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and will set out the application process by which staff of my Department can formally request blended working arrangements. In the meantime, remote working alongside attendance on site will continue in line with business needs.

Under my Department's Blended Working Policy, staff will be required to designate a single address and workstation that meets the required health and safety standard when working remotely.