A guide to special leave processes

Special leave without pay up to a maximum period of five years may be allowed in order to accompany a spouse who is working abroad.

This is usually when your spouse is also a civil servant (or is employed in other areas of the public sector) and has either been posted abroad or has secured a position with the EU or other international organisations of which Ireland is a member.

You may also be granted special leave if your spouse is employed by a private company, but this usually involves only short periods of special leave – for long term postings you are encouraged to apply for a career break.

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

How to apply for leave to accompany a spouse abroad

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the dropdown menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting Information

Circular 28/1991:- Special Leave for domestic reasons

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

You can take unpaid Charitable Organisation Leave for up to one year for charitable or cultural work in Ireland, and for up to five years for humanitarian emergencies and development work overseas.

The granting of special leave is subject to the conditions that any department(s) concerned with the organisation in question or its work would be consulted beforehand; and the grant of special leave would be approved by the minister in charge of your department.

Special leave may be allowed to enable you to take up or retain appointments with international organisations (other than the EU) of which Ireland is a member to serve overseas under the auspices of missionary or charitable organisations.

The total period of leave should not exceed 5 years, including extensions and regardless of the number of organisations served. Special leave for up to one year may be allowed for the purpose of service in this country with voluntary organisations engaged wholly or mainly on charitable work, community welfare or work directly related to the Irish language or other aspects of the national culture.

How to apply for Charitable Organisation Leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting information

Circular 02/1976 - Special Leave

Letter Re Arrangements for Public Service Volunteers on Special Leave with Agency

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

Special leave with pay for attendance at certain courses of instruction in the Civil Defence School of the Department of Defence may be granted.

Officer’s attendance is requested in writing by a local authority.

The courses, and the periods of special leave, exclusive of Sundays and public holidays, which may be granted in any one leave year are as follows:

Course for days’ special leave:

• Instructors: 18 days leave
• Wardens: 12 days leave
• Scientific Intelligence Officers: 12 days leave

Special leave with pay in addition to the periods shown above may be granted in respect of time necessarily spent in traveling to and from a course. The total amount of special leave granted should not, however, exceed the period necessary for the purpose of the officer’s actual attendance.

Special leave with pay may be granted for attendance at certain courses of instruction in civil defence.

How to apply for civil defence leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting information

Circular 22/1962 - Special Leave for instruction in Civil Defence

Up to six months unpaid leave can be granted for you to deal with difficulties arising from the death or serious illness of an immediate relative, and up to two months unpaid leave to deal with other urgent domestic affairs. This leave can be taken retrospectively.

You may be granted special leave without pay for up to 6 months to:

• cope with difficulties arising from the death or serious illness of an immediate relative, including after the birth of a child with a serious illness, or, in exceptional circumstances, in respect of a more distant relative
• care for an immediate relative during sickness or old age (provided no suitable person other than the officer is available to provide the care)

OR

for up to 2 months to deal with other urgent domestic affairs.

As this leave is requested for domestic affairs, it can be applied to a broad number of situations. If you need leave for a purpose not covered by other leave types, you can apply for domestic leave. Domestic leave does not have to be taken in specific blocks, and can be taken for daily or half day instances, or weekly blocks over a 6 month period.

As domestic leave is unpaid it affects both annual leave accrual and salary. Annual leave entitlement will be recalculated for any time spent on unpaid domestic leave.

How to apply for domestic leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your Local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting information

Circular 05/2010 Force Majeure and Other Urgent Family Reasons Leave

In the event of a serious and unforeseen illness or injury to an immediate relative and in any case where force majeure leave has been exhausted or does not apply, you may be granted special leave subject to local HR approval. This leave can be taken retrospectively.

Leave will be granted if your annual leave and entitlement to force majeure leave is less than 26 days. If you have an entitlement to family illness leave as a full time officer, you get the pro-rata amount as a work-sharer.

• leave up to 5 days in the case of a spouse or a child may be granted
• leave up to 3 days in the case of another immediate relative may be granted

Family illness leave can be taken for unforeseen illness or injury to an immediate relative, and in any case where force majeure leave has been exhausted or does not apply. Family Illness requests for one day are subject to manager approval. Requests for more than one day are subject to Local HR approval.

How to apply for family illness leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial. Supporting documentation may be needed, such as a doctor’s note or hospital letter to confirm the dates on which the illness took place

Supporting information

Circular 05/2010 Force Majeure and Other Urgent Family Reasons Leave

Force majeure leave is leave with pay for urgent family reasons, due to the injury or illness of an immediate relative, or of a person “in a relationship of domestic dependency” with you. This leave can be taken retrospectively.

Force majeure is not applicable if you need leave because your child fell ill with a routine childhood illness such as flu, stomach bug, or chicken pox. Force majeure is only applicable in urgent situations, where a severe illness or injury has occurred and the child or family member requires immediate medical attention or treatment.

Force majeure is also not applicable to accompany a sick or injured person to a scheduled hospital appointment, as advance notice of this appointment would have been received, allowing the time to make alternate arrangements.

Eligibility

In order to take force majeure leave the event causing it must be urgent, and your immediate presence with the ill or injured person must be indispensable.

To determine if you are entitled to force majeure leave, the following three considerations will apply:

• the reason is considered urgent when you have to act without delay, there is no advance notice of the illness or injury, and there is little time to plan or manage it or make alternative arrangements. In this sense, a scheduled appointment or a routine childhood illness would not qualify for force majeure. An event might be urgent on the first day, but not on later days if the initial urgency has passed
• the need for your presence is considered immediate when your presence with the sick person could not have been delayed because of the seriousness or urgency of the illness or injury. You had to be with or go to the sick or injured person without any delay
• your presence is considered indispensable when the situation demands your presence. Nobody else will do, or will be able to give the support that the sick or injured person requires

These three criteria for force majeure leave must apply on each day for which force majeure is requested, not just the first day.

Force majeure leave cannot exceed 3 days in any 12 consecutive months, or 5 days in any 36 consecutive months. An absence for part of a day is counted as one day for the purpose of force majeure leave. It cannot be applied for in half day increments.

Who qualifies as a relative or a relationship of domestic dependency

Your child, step-child, adoptive child, a person for whom you are acting in loco parentis, spouse, cohabiting partner, mother, father, step-mother, step-father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, and persons deemed to be in a relationship of domestic dependency, including same sex partners.

How to apply for force majeure leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your Local HR to request approval or denial
• for Department of Justice employees, manager approval is enough for requests of up to 3 days
• supporting documentation will be needed for force majeure requests, such as a doctor’s note or hospital letter to confirm the date on which the illness or injury took place

Supporting information

Circular 05/2010 Force Majeure and Other Urgent Family Reasons Leave

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

Eligible officers may avail of unpaid leave to serve with the EU and up to five years unpaid leave to serve with an international organisation of which Ireland is a member.

Any exceptional arrangement would require the sanction of your department.

Special leave to serve with the EU may be granted for a maximum of ten years or up to the minimum retiring age, whichever is the shorter.

Special leave to serve with an international organisation of which Ireland is a member (other than the EU) may be granted for a maximum of five years or up to the minimum retiring age, whichever is the shorter.

How to apply for force majeure leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting information

Circular 33/1991:- Special leave without pay to take up an appointment with an institution of the European Communities or other international organisation of which Ireland is a member

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

Civil servants who wish to attend training courses with the Reserve Defence Force should be facilitated as far as possible. The duration of the courses of annual training is 21 days for Officers and Senior N.C.O.s and 14 days for others.

If you are released for the purpose of attending annual or basic training you may, if you attend the full course of training, be granted special leave with pay as follows:

Basic Training

For a course of basic training lasting 14 to 30 days: 5 working days.

Annual Training

For annual training lasting 7 days: 3 working days

For annual training lasting 14 days: 7 working days

For annual training lasting 21 days: 10 working days

Officers released for special training and who attend for the prescribed period may be allowed (in addition to leave above) special leave with pay as follows:

For special training lasting 7 days: 3 working days

For special training lasting 14 days: 6 working days

For special training lasting 21 days: 9 working days

How to apply for Reserve Defence Forces Leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• Select Special Leave Local HR from the drop down menu.
• Fill out the online form.
• Your manager will make a recommendation on the form.
• The NSSO will contact your Local HR to request approval or denial.

Supporting information

Circular 51/1979 - Leave for attendance at training with the Reserve Defence Force

You should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the leave.

Leave will be granted if you are representing your country in sporting events such as:

• the Olympic Games
• World championship events
• European championship events
• pre-Olympic qualifying competitions

If you are seeking special leave with pay for sporting purposes you should submit a completed application form, which will verify the status of the competition for which the leave is sought and supply other relevant particulars.

Paid leave will not be granted, without the prior authority of your Department, in cases where there is financial sponsorship of the competitors beyond reasonable travelling costs, subsistence expenses or equipment costs.

How to apply for sporting purposes leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

Supporting information

09/03/1987 LP- Special leave for Sporting Purposes

It is suggested that you apply for the leave in advance of the start date.

Civil servants who participate in the Living Kidney Donor Programme under the clinical supervision of the National Renal Transplant Programme in Beaumont Hospital have an entitlement to avail of 12 weeks paid special leave commencing from the date of the donation.

The leave must be taken in a 12 week consecutive block. The 12 weeks consecutive period is calculated based on a standard week. Worksharing officers who avail of this leave will be entitled to the 12 consecutive weeks but will be paid their standard worksharing salary for the duration of the leave.

Time in lieu for bank holidays that occur during the period of special leave will be applied directly after the period of special leave. For worksharing officers, time in lieu will be granted on a pro-rata basis.

Supporting documents are required in support of your application for this leave type. This documentation should consist of a letter from the hospital, ensuring that the following information is contained on the letter:

• your full name
• the date on which the donation is scheduled to take place

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.

How to apply for kidney donor leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will make a recommendation on the form
• the NSSO will contact your local HR to request approval or denial

It is suggested that you apply for the leave in advance of the start date.

Ante-natal leave

You may be entitled to take paid time off to attend ante-natal classes before the birth of a child. Your entitlement is for one set of ante-natal classes except for the last 3 classes of the set (a set usually comprises 7 classes). That means that you are entitled to 4 classes.

Expectant fathers shall be entitled once only to time off from work, without loss of pay, to attend the last two ante-natal classes attended by the expectant mother before the birth of the child. Evidence of appointment or attendance at the clinic will be required.

Post-natal leave

Attendance at post-natal classes is covered only during the first fourteen weeks following the birth of your child. Your entitlement, following the birth of a child, without loss of pay to take such time off from work as is necessary to attend Post-Natal appointments.

How to apply for ante-natal or post-natal leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will approve or deny the application

Supporting information

S.I. No. 18/1995 — Maternity Protection Regulations, 1995

Circular 35/1995- Maternity Leave

Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004

Circular 31/2006 Maternity Leave

Circular 35/1995- Maternity Leave

Special leave with pay may be allowed at the time of bereavement.

Leave can be granted for 20 working days for a spouse (including a cohabiting partner), child (including adopted children and children being cared for on the basis of ‘in loco parentis’) or a person in a relationship of domestic dependency, including same sex partners.

Note: A relationship of domestic dependency refers to a partner/spouse relationship.

Leave can be granted for 5 working days for immediate relative [“immediate relative” means father, step-father, mother, step-mother, brother, step-brother, half-brother, brother-in-law, sister, step-sister, half-sister, sister-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandfather, grandmother or grandchild of an officer; or a similar immediate relative of a cohabiting partner].

Note: ‘similar immediate relative of a cohabiting partner’ refers to any relationship specifically listed above as ‘in-law’ i.e. mother, father, sister or brother of a cohabiting partner. Bereavement leave is not applicable to relationships not specifically listed above, so for example, there is no entitlement for grandmother-in-law.

Leave can be granted for 1 day for other relatives (uncle, aunt, niece or nephew). 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.

In the event of a stillbirth or prenatal death of a child after twenty four weeks pregnancy, bereavement leave of ten days may be granted to the father (or relevant parent as set out in Bereavement Leave Circular 01/2017).

In a case where a civil servant has to travel abroad to make funeral arrangements in respect of an immediate relative, special leave with pay in excess of the limits for bereavement leave may be granted at the discretion of the Local HR unit, having consulted with the relevant manager.

Further information

Bereavement leave must be taken at the time of bereavement and in a consecutive period. The consecutive period is calculated over standard work days and only bank holidays and weekends are discounted.

The full amount of bereavement leave allowable will depend on the relationship between the officer and the deceased (as listed above).

Officers are not obliged to avail of the full amount of bereavement leave allowable if they wish avail of a shorter duration.

Only Annual Leave can be cancelled due to an overlap with Bereavement Leave. Other pre-booked leave types cannot be cancelled and replaced with bereavement leave.

For worksharers, the granting of bereavement leave and the amount granted will depend on whether or not you were scheduled to work for the period in question.

How to apply for bereavement leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will approve or deny the application

Supporting information

Circular 01/2017: Bereavement Leave

Circular 31/2006: Implementation of the Regulations of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004

It is suggested that you apply for the leave in advance of the start date.

Interviews are generally a follow-on from a civil service competition, which may involve the sitting of an examination held by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Therefore, time off should be allowed to attend a PAS examination and any interview that follows from these examinations or any other civil service competition.

Leave should not, without the specific sanction of your parent Department/Office, be allowed for the purpose of enabling you, even on a trial basis, to accept employment outside the civil service or to qualify yourself 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.

How to apply for interview leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu
• fill out the online form
• your manager will approve or deny the application

Supporting information

Circular 02/1976 - special leave

Circular 33/1964 Special Leave with Pay to sit for University and Other Examinations

Jury service

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.

It should be noted that if you are not selected for jury service, you are not entitled to time off with full pay. Accordingly, you should return to work in the afternoon, you are not covered by the terms of Circular 11/1977 Jury Service.

Employees must apply for this leave in retrospect. Employees should obtain written documentation from the Court Clerk on their final day of their Jury Service or Witness In Court leave. The document should confirm the dates and times that the employee was present as a Juror or a Witness In Court. Please submit this document to the NSSO to support your application.

Witness in court leave

A civil servant called as a witness on behalf of a party other than the State, should, provided you have been served with a summons or subpoena, be granted special leave with pay for the period of necessary absence. Arrangements where civil servants are required to attend in Court as witnesses are covered in Circular 31/2007 – Attendance of Civil Servants in Court as Witnesses. You must apply for this leave in retrospect. Please submit documentation to support your application.

How to apply for jury/witness leave

• Log into your HR self-service account.
• Select Non-Annual Leave.
• Select Special Leave Local HR from the drop down menu.
• Fill out the online form.
• Your manager will approve or deny the application.

Supporting information

Circular 11/1977: Jury Service

Circular 31/2007: Attendance of Civil Servants in Court as Witnesses

You may apply for up to an additional 5 days paid leave at time of marriage or civil partnership, as long as the total of marriage/civil partnership leave and annual leave does not exceed 27 days.

If you have an entitlement to marriage/civil partnership leave as a full time officer, you get the pro rata amount as a work-sharer.

Annual leave you have carried forward from another leave year does not count toward the total of 27 days mentioned above.

How to apply for marriage/civil partnership leave

• log into your HR self-service account
• select non-annual leave
• select special leave local HR from the drop down menu.
• fill out the online form
• your manager will approve or deny the application

Supporting information

Circular 06/2016 Special Leave with pay on Marriage

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

Special leave for union training courses

Non full-time representatives of staff associations/unions may be granted up to a limit of five days special leave with pay in any year to attend training courses which are designed specifically for such representatives and which are organised by their associations/unions or by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

How to apply for Union Business Leave

• Log into your HR self-service account.
• Select Non-Annual Leave.
• Select Special Leave Local HR from the drop down menu.
• Fill out the online form.
• Your manager will approve or deny the application.

Supporting information

Circular 14/1980

Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Civil Service

Under Circular 02/1976 Part IX, a civil servant who has been in contact with an infectious disease must absent themselves for work for as long as is advised by their doctor or the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The line manager must raise a Covid-19 special leave with pay e-form on manager self-service, the same as with sick leave. The line manager should submit the form as soon as they are aware that an officer is taking Special Leave for Covid-19.

Current provisions

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

From 1 July 2022, if you have a confirmed case of Covid-19, special leave with pay can continue for up to a maximum of 7 calendar days if necessary. Your leave must be supported by a positive test for Covid-19 and by ongoing medical certification.

You should send medical certification directly to your HR unit for Special Leave for Covid-19.

If you are still unwell after 7 days, you will then move to certified sick leave; see our Absence/Sick Leave section for further information.

If you move to Certified Sick Leave after 7 days, your medical certification from the 8th day of absence may need to be sent to medcerts@nsso.gov.ie instead. Please discuss this with your HR unit if necessary.

Payment while on leave

You will continue to receive your normal salary for the duration of the special leave. Normal paid sick leave rules apply after special leave is exhausted and sick leave starts.

Supporting information

Circular 02/1976 - special leave
Working arrangements and leave (latest policy guidance)