Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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I am happy for Mr. Finnegan to send it on. We do not need it now. When I saw the 2,000 figure, it just did not gel with me. The big issue I want to raise over training – I am making a practical suggestion that I do not believe would cost much at all – concerns staff. There are two categories of staff: the Civil Service staff, which Mr. Finnegan looks after, and the Members' staff. The latter are not civil servants and can kind of toddle along as they like. The group I am most concerned about comprises the Members' staff who operate in constituency offices. They have zero personal contact with Leinster House, other than when they ring extension 4444, if they want to avail of an IT service. An assistant goes down, wires up what is required and then leaves. I suggest it would be a big help to the operation of the Oireachtas if a programme could be put in place, even for half a day per year, to visit the constituency offices to train the Members' staff there. They have no access. They will not come here from all over the country for a day's training twice per year. All it would take is one of two of the people doing the training to create a programme. As Oireachtas staff install the equipment, all it would take would be for someone to give a few hours' training a week later.