Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2026
262. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the flexible working and remote working policies in place for civil servants in his Department; if there is any discrepancy in these policies based on seniority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28926/26]
View answerMy Department supports blended working arrangements for staff and operates a range of flexible working arrangements in line with Civil Service policies and circulars, and subject to business need. These include flexible working hours scheme (flexi-time), shorter working year, work sharing, and blended working. It should be noted that flexi-time applies to grades up to HEO.
Under the Blended Working Policy, which applies to all grades, staff can apply for blended working arrangements. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to the requirements of the role, the operational needs of the business area and the need to maintain effective supervision, collaboration and service delivery. The policy provides for minimum attendance requirements in the workplace. In general, staff are expected to attend the office for a minimum of two days per week and more often, based on, for example, business needs or the training and induction requirements of staff. Some roles, at all grades, require higher levels of on-site attendance, including full-time attendance, particularly where duties involve direct public / staff engagement, on-site service delivery, or access to systems and resources that cannot be facilitated remotely.
These policies are kept under continuous review with the primary focus on ensuring that operational demands can be met and a high quality service is maintained.
