AHCPS SPRING NEWSLETTER 2025
Colleagues,
As we approach the Easter break its timely for an update from AHCPS head office on the activities and challenges faced in Q1 2025. We hope you find this update informative about the initiatives undertaken on your behalf.
Many thanks and a very happy and safe Easter holiday to all.
Orla McBreen
Chair of AHCPS
Ciaran Rohan
General Secretary
Executive Update
The AHCPS National Executive has met 4 times so far this year.
To start off the year The Executive has developed an action plan following the recent corporate governance review. A subgroup of The Executive was established to review the key findings of the review and to develop a programme for implementation of the changes identified. This work is ongoing, and more information will be available to membership at the upcoming ADC.
The Executive also availed of an opportunity to be addressed by The Civil Service Employee Assistance Service. Susan Clarke from the CSEAS attended the February meeting and provided answers to questions raised by members of The Executive. Some key points of her address were:
- CSEAS usage 14% in 2023 increase to 15% in 2024
- Acknowledgement that instances of stress appear to be in on the rise
- 17% of cases notified are work related stress
- Concerns around work life balance and burnout
- Noted they are not able to disclose grade % of cases reporting due to voluntary use of service by user.
- Pivoting from a reactive to a proactive approach to understanding the issues users face.
Members who are also members of the Income Continuance scheme received a small refund earlier this year. This was as a result of an inadvertent early activation of the new policy deduction rates. Most affected members have seen the issue resolved but if you have not received any correspondence, please contact your branch full time official.
In light of the current financial market turmoil the Executive considered it prudent to receive an address from our investment brokers.. Neil Carroll from Goodbody stockbrokers attended and presented, key points were:
- The Association has an appropriately conservative risk appetite with its investments.
- General risk appetite would allow for 2% drop in value, AHCPS allows for ½ % drop in value.
- The investments are considered a diverse holding, i.e. not all eggs in one basket.
- Ongoing monitoring of impacts of Trump presidency on investments globally.
- Executive agreed to review the investments in 6 months’ time to get a view of any Trump related impacts.
Blended Working was once again to the fore in February as a result of proposed unilateral changes to the approach in departments. The Association was clear in its discussions with the official side. Key points from our perspective were:
- There is an agreed policy on blended working, launched after significant negotiations in 2022.
- The policy clearly outlines that, whilst the approach to blended working may evolve in different departments over time, any changes must encompass the formal review process as provided for in the agreed policy.
- Any changes made in any department not following the agreed process will lead to a dispute.
- The Executive noted that the official side drafted and launched a Blended Working evaluation model, with a range of metrics for evaluating local blended working policies. It is essential that this model is used to provide an evidence-base for any proposed amendments to existing policies.
The head office officials have been busy working with the official side and the other Civil Service unions on the proposed changes to the probation system in the civil service. It is expected that a new probation policy will be published in the coming months.
The officials are also busy engaging in a working group to reform the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. This is the overarching process that manages industrial relations in the civil service. We hope to have made significant progress on this reform prior to the summer.
And finally……………….
At last year’s ADC, a motion was passed calling for a survey of members on the cashless society. Please see below.
MOTION 73
That conference notes that the positive impacts that the push to digital commerce has had on society. However, conference is concerned that a move to cashless society can have a negative impact on many different members of society who for valid reasons, (such as social, economic, psychological) prefer to have the option of using cash. Conference notes the impact to towns, especially employment in smaller towns, when Post offices, Banks, and other organisations have closed branches, and is keen that this isn’t replicated in the move to cash-free. To this end, Conference instructs the incoming executive committee to survey members on the issue and produce a report on the issue in advance of the new Delegate conference.
As such we are now asking members for their views on the cashless society in line with this motion. Please send your view to kwhite@ahcps.ie before Friday 2nd May, and all respondents will be entered into a draw to win 1 of 5 €50 One 4 All vouchers!
Stay Connected
Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
- X: @ahcps
- LinkedIn: AHCPS LinkedIn
- BlueSky: AHCPS BlueSky
This newsletter is also available on our website: www.ahcps.ie.