Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 432: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the funding that has been made available for training civil servants in 2010 in her Department; the extent to which this sum has been further reduced since the initial allocation in the Estimates for her Department; the extent to which such sums have been spent to the end of June 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31675/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The training budget meets the cost of training and development for the Department's staff in the administrative, professional, technical and service grades, and aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of staff to build capability to enable the Department meet current and future challenges. Also, under the terms of the Department of Finance circular 23/07 my Department operates schemes to encourage staff to pursue third level and other courses on their own time in order to obtain qualifications that are relevant to the functions of the Department and the broader Civil Service.

In January 2010 the Training & Development Budget for my Department was agreed at €600,000 and there has been no reduction in this figure. A sum of €120,000 has been spent up to the 30th, June 2010. However, the Deputy should be aware that it is normal for the major part of the budget to be spent in the second half of the year when expenditure on some of the larger training and development programmes falls due. While the budget of €600,000 for 2010 is sufficient in meeting the staff training needs my Department continues to keep under review all training and development spending to obtain the maximum value for money through the use of on-site training facilities, sharing facilities and resources with other Departments, customised training programmes and effective fee negotiation with training providers.