Work-shy staff to be taken to task

THE Department of Defence is to crack down on absenteeism after it emerged some barracks maintenance workers were off the job for almost 70 days last year.

The department was strongly criticised by the Government spending watchdog, which said civilian maintenance employees were “out of control.” Dáil Public Accounts Committee chairman John Perry said: “There are records maintained for the quantity of work the employees do. But they don’t show how long it takes to do it. And the department’s control of the absenteeism programme failed to operate in four of the six areas.”

Civilian maintenance workers, who carry out minor repairs to the army’s 28 barracks and facilities, cost the Department of Defence €12.1 million in wages last year.