The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that an employee in his department is currently “suspended on full pay in connection with disciplinary proceedings”.

In response to a query from Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Carol Nolan, Minister Charlie McConalogue confirmed that an employee of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently suspended under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code.

Minister McConalogue told MP Nolan that DAFM “manages all disciplinary matters in accordance with the provisions of the relevant disciplinary code applicable to the officer concerned”.

The minister did not provide any information about the reasons for the suspension of the official in question.

He also did not confirm the officer’s role within his department.

However, Minister McConalogue told MP Nolan that “if there are concerns about an officer’s conduct, performance and/or attendance, disciplinary action will be taken.”

“A disciplinary hearing provides a fair and efficient process for dealing with such concerns and all civil servants are required to take part in such proceedings,” the minister added.

He said due to the “very limited number of cases” in his department, details of the length of the suspension “could not be made public as it could potentially identify the officer(s) involved.”

The Independent TD for Laois-Offaly had also asked Minister McConalogue to provide details of staff on panels “under the auspices of his department” who are currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations.

However, Minister McConalogue did not provide details of staff at facilities under the auspices of DAFM.

“The details requested in relation to the facilities in my department are a matter for the individual bodies concerned,” he explained.

Separately, Deputy Nolan had also asked the Environment, Climate and Communications Minister “how many staff in his department and on committees under his department’s auspices are currently suspended with full pay pending disciplinary investigations”.

Environment, Climate and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan confirmed that “the number of staff in my department currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations is zero”.

He added: “I have requested that the entities under the auspices of my department respond directly to the deputy’s question.”

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