Special leave policies (paid)

Where there is the death of a spouse (including a cohabiting partner), child (including children being cared for on the basis of 'in loco parentis'), the amount of bereavement leave shall be twenty working days.

Where there is the death of another immediate relative the amount of bereavement leave shall be five working days. For the purposes of bereavement leave, "immediate relative” means father, mother, brother, sister, father in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandfather, grandmother or grandchild of an officer.

Where there is the death of an uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, brother in law or sister in law the amount of bereavement leave shall be one day. In exceptional circumstances, where the civil servant lived with the deceased at the time of their death, or has to take charge of funeral arrangements, this limit may be extended to five working days.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Special leave at time of bereavement Circular 01/2017

Civil Servants who participate in the Living Organ Donor Programme under the clinical supervision of the National Renal Transplant Programme in Beaumont Hospital may apply for up to 12 weeks of paid special leave commencing from the date of the donation.

Worksharing officers who avail of this leave will be entitled to up to 12 consecutive weeks but will be paid their standard worksharing salary for the duration of the leave.

Pre-donation appointments

Officers may also avail of paid time off to attend pre-donation appointments.

Please note the Circular outlining the provision for this leave is still pending. As such the above information may be subject to change once the Circular is finalised.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Special Leave for Covid-19 may apply where there is a confirmed case of Covid-19, or a need for civil servants to self-isolate.

The latest FAQs and Guidance for Public Service Employers during COVID-19 can be found on Gov.ie

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

In accordance with the terms of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, civil servants may avail of up to 5 days of unpaid leave for medical care purposes in any 12 consecutive months. This leave can be taken as individual days or a block/blocks of days. An absence for part of a day is counted as one day.

While the Act does not confer an entitlement to remuneration and superannuation benefits, an officer on leave for medical care purposes is deemed to be in employment. The absence will therefore count as service for promotion, increments and annual leave.

This entitlement is in addition to existing statutory entitlements to carer’s leave, and force majeure leave and non-statutory entitlement to family illness leave which is provided under Circular 05/2010.

There is no minimum service requirement to avail of this leave type.

As outlined in the Act, officers can avail of this leave to provide care to certain specified persons who require significant care or support for a serious medical reason. Specified persons include:

• Child (including an adopted child)
• Spouse or Civil Partner
• Cohabitant
• Parent or Grandparent
• Sibling
• Any other person to those listed above who lives in the same house as the officer

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this type leave can be found on NSSO.gov.ie

A civil servant may be allowed up to 5 days of paid special leave at the time of marriage subject to an overall total between annual leave and marriage leave of 27 days in the leave year in which the marriage takes place.

Unpaid leave of up to 5 days may be granted in addition to the paid leave entitlement, or in the event that the paid leave entitlement is not applicable.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Special Leave with pay on Marriage Circular 0006/2016

Time off may be allowed to attend a Public Appointment Service (PAS) examination and any interview that may follow from these examinations or any other civil service competition.

Officers should request the sanction of your Department/Office in advance of attending the exam/interview. This time off should not be sanctioned for the purpose of enabling a civil servant, even on a trial basis, to accept employment outside the civil service or to qualify for such employment.

The period of leave with pay is limited to time which is actually and necessarily spent on the PAS examination/interview and any time required for travelling to and from the PAS examination/interview centre.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Circular 02/1976: Special Leave

Officers who qualify for a refund/advance of fees, may be allowed paid study leave as follows; ten days of paid study leave in respect of the final year only of a third level primary or masters degree; five days of paid study leave for the other years of a third level course; paid leave for time necessarily spent at examinations.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Post Entry Education Study Leave and Examination Leave Circular 0023/2007

Special leave with pay may be granted to non-full-time representatives of staff associations/unions shortly before and/or after a meeting with the Official Side for the purpose of conciliation and arbitration, or any other meeting with management, to enable the representatives to discuss the subject matter of that meeting.

Special leave with pay may also be granted in respect of one Departmental Council staff panel meeting per month to representatives who are also members of the panel.

Special leave for Union Business includes:

• Association/Union meetings
• Annual Delegate Conferences – the limit is two days a year, for special delegate conferences – the limit is one day a year,
• Executive Meetings (excluding branch executive/committee meetings) – the limit is 25 days a year;
• Conferences of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions annual conferences and special delegate conferences – no limit applies.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Facilities for non full-time representatives of staff associations and unions is covered in Circular 14 of 1980

A civil servant may be granted leave if they are representing their country in sporting events such as:

• The Olympic Games
• World Championship Events
• European Championship Events
• Pre-Olympic Qualifying Competitions

A list of organisations covered under this leave type is available here: http://www.irishsport.ie.ngbs

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

With the exception of certain persons who are disqualified or ineligible, all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 years in the register of Dáil electors are qualified and liable to serve as jurors. Civil servants who attend for jury service should be given time off from duty with full pay.

It should be noted that if an officer is not selected for jury service, there is no entitlement to time off with full pay.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Jury Service Circular 0011/1977

A civil servant called as a witness on behalf of a party other than the State, should, provided a summons or subpoena has been served, should be granted special leave with pay for the period of necessary absence.

Special leave without pay may be given in certain other circumstances at the discretion of the Head of Department/Office, however it should be noted that unpaid leave will not reckon for superannuation purposes.

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

Attendance of Civil Servants in Court as Witnesses Circular 0031/2007

A number of days of paid leave per year are allowed for instruction in Civil Defence, training with the Reserve Defence Forces, training or call out with Voluntary Search and Rescue Organisations.

Special Leave for Instruction in Civil Defence Circular 0022/1962

Leave for attendance at training with the Reserve Defence Forces Circular 0051/1979

Search Rescue Circular 0015/2002

Further information and information in relation to ‘How to Apply’ for this leave type can be found on the NSSO.gov.ie website.

A number of days of paid leave per year are allowed for instruction in Civil Defence, training with the Reserve Defence Forces, training or call out with Voluntary Search and Rescue Organisations.

Special Leave for Instruction in Civil Defence Circular 0022/1962

Leave for attendance at training with the Reserve Defence Forces Circular 0051/1979

Search Rescue Circular 0015/2002