SENIOR LOCAL authority managers have said they will back the introduction of an official limit of 32 days on their leave entitlements.
The County and City Managers’ Association said yesterday that it looked forward to the early implementation of such a measure under the terms of the Croke Park agreement. It emerged this week that some local authority mangers are entitled to up to 42 days off per year.
Earlier this year, the Department of the Environment and the Local Government Management Services Board proposed under the Croke Park deal that a standardised leave arrangement be put in place nationwide from a minimum of 23 days to a maximum of 32 days.
However, this proposal as well as another to introduce a standardised working week in local authorities has faced opposition from trade unions.
At present, a wide variety of annual leave arrangements are in place in different local authorities. There are also different rules for the number of privilege days – or days off in additional to annual leave – available to staff.
Some of the additional annual leave arrangements stem from local agreements several years ago to “buy out” staff entitlements to have days off to mark church holidays.
It emerged this week that Longford county manager Tim Caffrey can avail of 42 days off per year while Kerry county manager Tom Curran and Kilkenny county manager Joe Crockett are entitled to 40 days off.
The association said: “In late 2010, county and city managers agreed on a maximum of 32 days annual leave for senior management as part of the local government sectoral action plan, submitted under the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 [Croke Park].
“County and city managers are supportive of an upward limit of 32 days annual leave and look forward to an early implementation of this issue under the Croke Park agreement.”
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Minister for Public Service Reform Brendan Howlin said there would be a review of leave in the public service.
“Figures show that in some instances the rate of leave has got out of sync with the norm in some areas and these will be looked at and will be reviewed.”
Trade union Impact, which represents staff in local authorities, is opposing the plans for reforms to existing annual leave and working week arrangements. It has said the proposed standardised arrangements should apply only to new staff in local authorities.
Impact has said demands from management for reduced annual leave and a longer working week “are not necessary to deliver the savings or productivity required under the Croke Park deal”.
However, the union has said as part of any new standardised arrangements “nobody will have 42 days leave”.
