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538 public servants are on career breaks. One has lasted 12 years

At least 50 employees of Government departments and their agencies on career break for five years or more

Some 538 employees of Government departments and their agencies are on career breaks. Photograph: iStock
Some 538 employees of Government departments and their agencies are on career breaks. Photograph: iStock
Harry McGee
Mon Feb 10 2025 - 06:00

A public servant in the Department of An Taoiseach has been on a career break for 12 years, while a further five public service employees are on breaks of between eight and ten years, according to new information disclosed by Government departments.

Some 538 employees of Government departments and their agencies are on career breaks with more than 50 of them away from their work for periods of five years or more.

The information has been disclosed in reply to a series of parliamentary questions submitted by Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice to each Government department.

The figures released do not include teachers, or others working in the education sector, employees of the HSE, or those working for semi-State companies.

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The information disclosed to Mr Fitzmaurice shows that the Department of Justice, with 135, has the highest number of employees on a career break followed by the Department of Social Protection, at 104, with a total of 44 on breaks from the Department of Foreign Affairs and from the Department of Agriculture.

“If these people were employed in the private sector, they would not be allowed to take such long breaks,” said Mr Fitzmaurice. “People are treated differently in the public service.

“One person has been on a break for 12 years, which is a huge amount of time. It raises serious question marks as to what’s going on in the public service,” he added.

While some 50 are recorded as being on a career break of five years or more, the figure could be higher as one or two Departments did not supply figures in relation to length of career break.

This included the Department of Social Protection which stated: “The information regarding a breakdown by length of individual career break cannot be provided within the time available as it would require a disproportionate amount of time and resources to compile.

“The volume of relevant data involved and the level of detail requested would necessitate an extensive manual review of records, which is not feasible within this timeline.”

The Department of the Taoiseach, has disclosed that an executive officer has been on leave for 12 years.

In its reply it states: “The Department engages with all staff approaching the end of their career break with a view to facilitating their return to work. All career breaks that were extended were done so at the request of the staff member.”

The Department of Agriculture, and its agencies, has the highest number of employees on breaks for five years or more, recording 13 in total. A veterinary inspector has been on leave for 10 years while a research officer has been on leave for eight years.

The public service offers its employees career breaks consisting of special leave without pay for a period up to five years when it is for educational purposes, travel, family reasons or other domestic reasons. A break can also be allowed in certain circumstances for a person taking up other employment.

Extensions of the leave are negotiated between the staff member and departmental human resource personnel.

Harry McGee

Harry McGee

Harry McGee is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times