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04/03/2008
Two Million Days Off For Civil Servants
The total number of working days lost due to Northern Ireland's Civil Service sick leave in the last five years has come in at 1,731,595, new figures reveal.
The sick leave for 2002-2007 has cost the taxpayer over £125 million, which could have gone to improving services or lightening the tax burden on the public. The figures mean each taxpayer in Northern Ireland forks out over £16 per year to cover civil service sick pay costs.
Finance Minister, Peter Robinson, released the figures after a written question from party colleague Stephen Moutray.
The Department for Social Development (DSD) had by far the highest annual average and totals.
DSD's sick leave bill in 2006-07 came to £9,374,199, with staff missing 140,778 days in total - an average of 18.7 days each in the year.
A spokesman for the Department said: "DSD is by far the biggest Department with a large number of staff working directly with customers.
"The Department has thorough management systems which are aimed at proactively preventing staff from becoming sick, supporting staff during illness and assisting staff back to work."
Upper Bann MLA, Stephen Moutray described the figures as "extremely worrying".
He added: "When someone is genuinely ill and they cannot get in to work, they are perfectly within their rights to claim some time off in order to get better.
"MLAs are charged to ensure we get good value for money on behalf of the taxpayer.
"Steps need to be taken across all departments to drive these figures down urgently."
(DW/JM)
The sick leave for 2002-2007 has cost the taxpayer over £125 million, which could have gone to improving services or lightening the tax burden on the public. The figures mean each taxpayer in Northern Ireland forks out over £16 per year to cover civil service sick pay costs.
Finance Minister, Peter Robinson, released the figures after a written question from party colleague Stephen Moutray.
The Department for Social Development (DSD) had by far the highest annual average and totals.
DSD's sick leave bill in 2006-07 came to £9,374,199, with staff missing 140,778 days in total - an average of 18.7 days each in the year.
A spokesman for the Department said: "DSD is by far the biggest Department with a large number of staff working directly with customers.
"The Department has thorough management systems which are aimed at proactively preventing staff from becoming sick, supporting staff during illness and assisting staff back to work."
Upper Bann MLA, Stephen Moutray described the figures as "extremely worrying".
He added: "When someone is genuinely ill and they cannot get in to work, they are perfectly within their rights to claim some time off in order to get better.
"MLAs are charged to ensure we get good value for money on behalf of the taxpayer.
"Steps need to be taken across all departments to drive these figures down urgently."
(DW/JM)
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