Written answers

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Department of Education and Skills

Exchequer Savings

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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342. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer of 1%, 5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 17% and 20% reduction to travel and expenses for his Department. [34591/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department's travel and subsistence allocation for 2013 is €1.59 million This allocation supports key functions within my Department such as the provision of schools inspections, psychological services to schools and oversight of capital projects.

The savings that would be associated with reductions in travel and subsistence allocation as queried by the Deputy are shown below: 1% - €15,900; 5% - €79,500; 7% - €111,300; 10% - €159,000; 12% - €190,800; 15% - €238,500; 17% - €270,300; 20% - €318,000.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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343. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer of a 5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 17% and 20% reduction to training and development for his Department. [34607/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the table. The training budget meets the cost of training and development for the Department's staff in 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 and promote personal development of staff.

Between 2008 and 2012 expenditure on training (excluding the National Educational Psychological Service) was reduced by 50% to less than €0.5m. Expenditure on staff training in NEPS reduced by over 20% since 2008 although the number of psychologists employed by my Department increased. In addition NEPS operates a range of programmes at school level (e.g. Incredible Years, Friends for Life) through which training is delivered by NEPS staff to teachers for delivery to students.

Expenditure on Staff Training and Development in 2012 (Excl. Psychological Service - NEPS)5% reduction7%
reduction
10%
reduction
12%
reduction
15%
reduction
17%
reduction
20%
reduction
478,26623,91333,47947,82757,39271,74081,30595,653
Expenditure on Training and Development in 2012 (NEPS)
108,8545,4437,62010,88513,06216,32818,50521,770
Total Expenditure in 2012
587,12029,35641,09958,71270,4548806899,810117,423

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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344. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer if all his special advisors pay was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade; if he will provide a list of all salaries, post implementation of the Haddington Road agreement paid to his special advisers. [34623/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The attached tabular statement gives the current salaries of my Special Advisors and the annual saving to the Exchequer if their salaries were capped at the first point of the Principal Officer grade, post the implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement.
Officials at my Department wrote to the Department of Finance at the time of the appointments and requested sanction to place the individuals on a point of the pay scale for the position nearest to their earnings before appointment. They have not received any salary increase since March 2011.
In accordance with the terms of the Ethics in Public Office Acts copies of the appointees' contracts of employment together with details of their qualifications were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the 28th, October 2011.

Appointee
Position
Salary
Annual Saving if salary was capped at the first point of the Principal Officer salary scale (€75,647)
John WalsheSpecial Advisor
€87,258
€11,611
Deirdre Grant*Special Advisor
€81,673
€6,026

*Maternity leave absence temporarily covered by Siobhán Creaton since 30th April 2013 who is currently being paid at the first point of the Principal Officer grade.

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