IRELAND
Irish Public Servants are calling for additional paid leave for those going through a marriage separation or divorce to apply to all Government workers.
Delegates at the Forsa trade union’s Public Service Conference want the current paid leave allowance of 1.5 days for staff to attend court and meetings with legal representatives in cases of separation or divorce increased to a minimum of three days.
The Department of Public Expenditure has confirmed there were arrangements at the local level for PS staff going through a separation or divorce to receive additional paid leave.
A spokesperson for the Department said the arrangements went back nearly 30 years and pre-dated the introduction of divorce in Ireland.
The official said a claim had been put forward by trade unions representing Public Service personnel in 1991 for the provision of additional leave for those going through a marriage separation and this was granted for administrative staff, but not for other sections of the Public Service.
However, teachers also qualify for additional leave when going through legal separation procedures.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said a teacher might be granted — subject to Board of Management approval — one day paid leave in respect of legal separation proceedings where the proceedings take place when the school is open.
However, the spokesperson said such leave was not generally available to non-teaching staff in Education and Training Boards.
A spokesperson for the largest Public Service employer, the Health Service, which has more than 100,000 employees, said “no such leave is available”.
Dublin, 12 April 2018
