Delegates at the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) in Dublin have supported a proposal for special leave provisions in the Civil Service for employees suffering a miscarriage. They emphasised the need for better support for staff who endure early pregnancy loss.
During the conference, Orna-Richella Maguire from the Revenue branch made it clear that while there’s support for employees who endure a miscarriage at stages when workmates and managers are usually aware of the pregnancy, particularly after the 24th week of pregnancy, there is not enough recognition for pregnancies that have not generally been disclosed.
The conference additionally supported motions demanding that the leave duration provided to domestic abuse victims should be twofold, improved menopause policies should be instated, and special leave introduced for employees dealing with fertility-related complications, all of which Ms Maguire claims are impacting an increasing number of the organisation’s members.
Regarding remuneration-related matters, the delegates endorsed proposals on the right to disconnect and directed the executive to file a claim for a suitable bonus for all officials in all departments who will perform significant work on the EU presidency of Ireland in 2026, both domestically and globally. It was also suggested that there should be acknowledgement of the potential for employees involved in the presidency to have to wake up early to get to a meeting in Brussels.
AHCPS official Larry Dunne emphasised that civil servants who worked on the presidency in 2013 had played a crucial role in reviving Ireland’s reputation, which had been marred by the reckless and illegitimate actions of those in the private banking sector.
Ciaran Rohan, the general secretary of the organisation, confirmed that discussions with department officials about the magnitude of the claim would be held, reiterating however that seeking a payment was not outrageous. Being Ireland’s esteemed civil servants, they don’t get overtime nor any form of recompense for working beyond the standard hours, which often includes 16 to 18 hours shifts during rigorous negotiations and working throughout the weekends. Thus, rectifying this situation is a priority.
The ongoing prohibition preventing most civil servants from bringing workplace complaints to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is a continuous reminder of the unresolved issue of viewing them as ‘office holders’ rather than workers with rights, it was shared at the conference.
Endorsing a proposal for rule amendment, Seán Kirby, a representative of the Revenue branch, informed the conference about the historical perspective that equated organising a civil service strike to an act of treason up until the mid of the last century which led to potential legal action.
Kirby further pointed out the lasting ‘office-holder’ categorisation and its consequences, adding that it’s the reason behind their inability to bring several issues to the WRC. He delineated Civil Service’s internal complaint processes as one of the most feeble seen in any civil service within the European Union. A report has also revealed that women are surpassing men in securing senior positions in Civil Service.