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

937. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of Departmental staff currently on sick or stress leave; and the number who took stress or sick leave in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [17786/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The table below illustrates the number of staff who are currently absent, as of 12 April 2023, on sick leave, and of those 317 staff, those who are medically certified as either ‘stress’ or ‘work stress’ i.e. 15 staff.

2023 to date figures are also given, as are those for the previous five years.  These figures reflect total number of separate absences within these years, i.e., they include repeat/multiple absences by same officer.

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

938. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of allegations of bullying made by departmental staff against departmental staff in each of the past five years, and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if she will detail what actions are being taken by her Department to investigate the allegations, or if they are being investigated. [17804/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is committed to creating a working environment free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.  All complaints from employees of the Department are treated seriously and managed in accordance with the procedures set out in the Dignity At Work policy, the Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work (S.I. 674 of 2020) and the Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment and Harassment at Work (2022).

The Dignity at Work policy is the anti-bullying, harassment and sexual harassment policy for the Irish Civil Service.  This policy is available to all employees on the Department’s internal information hub, Stór and is publicly available on the gov.ie website.

Training on the Dignity At Work policy is provided through my Department’s Induction course for all new entrants.  My Department also raises awareness of the policy at staff fora held as part of the Department’s Staff Engagement Strategy.  To mark Workplace Wellbeing Day 2022 my Department recorded a video on Dignity At Work which is available to all staff on the DSP Wellbeing youtube channel. 

Officials in my Department’s HR Division engage early with all parties to a complaint to promote the use of informal resolution and mediation, in line with the Dignity at Work policy and best practice.  Formal investigations only take place where those methods have been exhausted and if warranted in accordance with the policy. 

The number of complaints containing allegations of bullying made by departmental staff against departmental staff in each of the past five years and to date in 2023 is set out in the table below.  All of these complaints were fully managed in accordance with the Dignity At Work policy with two resulting in formal investigations carried out by an external workplace investigator. 

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

939. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of Departmental staff dismissed in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [17822/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The table below outlines the number of staff who have been dismissed from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) in accordance with the relevant Disciplinary Codes, those being:

- Circular 14/2006: Civil Service Disciplinary Code revised in accordance with the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 2005;

- Circular 09/2016: Civil Service Disciplinary Code;

-Circular 04/2019: Disciplinary procedures for new entrant civil servants serving in a probationary capacity.