Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 691: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff in his Department currently on leave undertaking full-time study paid for by his Department; the number who are undertaking part-time or evening study paid for by his Department; the subject areas in which these persons are studying; the qualifications which are expected to be achieved; his plans to make best use of those qualifications upon completion of the study period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1318/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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One member of staff is currently undertaking a full-time, 18-month study course at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, ENA, in Paris, under a scheme administered by the Department of Finance and the French Embassy. The course provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the work of the French public sector and to make contacts with civil servants from France and from over 20 other countries represented on the course. It also provides an opportunity to further develop French language skills. The officer in question is due to return to the Department at the beginning of March. She will then take up a posting in September, in the Embassy in Paris, where her training and experience at ENA will be put to good use.

Thirty-one officers are currently undertaking part-time or evening courses, with financial support from the Department. The following is a breakdown of the subject areas of the courses concerned: doctorate in governance; masters degrees in public management, policy analysis, community health, international relations, development management and economic policy; degrees in business studies, public management, law, industrial relations/human resource management, social studies, computer science and arts; diplomas in communications, public management, psychology and public relations; and certificates in personal effectiveness, managing performance and public management.

In many cases, the subject areas are directly relevant to the role of the officer undertaking the course. Examples include the community health and the development management courses being undertaken by officers working in the Department's development co-operation directorate, and the international relations course being undertaken by a number of diplomatic officers. All of the other courses are recognised as being of general benefit to officers working in the Civil Service. The Department's support for officers undertaking such courses is in line with current Civil Service policy to support and promote self-development and life-long learning, which contribute to enhanced workplace performance.

A number of officials in the Department are also undertaking language studies, which are of direct relevance to the role and function of the Department.