Rory Hearne
Question:2808. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Health if she will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24337/26]
View answerTuesday, 14 April 2026
Questions (2808)
Written answers
The provisions governing special leave with pay in HSE are based on the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Circular 6/2016. Under this policy, staff may be granted up to five days’ special leave with pay on the occasion of their marriage. However, this entitlement is subject to an overall limit on the combined total of annual leave and marriage leave in a given leave year. This cap is designed to ensure consistency and equity across the public service, having regard to the wide variation in annual leave entitlements across grades and length of service.
The effect of this approach is that staff with higher annual leave entitlements may receive a reduced allocation of marriage leave, or none, where they have already reached the maximum combined leave threshold. This is not intended as a penalty, but rather reflects a long-standing policy position that seeks to balance additional special leave provisions with the overall framework of paid leave.