Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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239. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of officials in his Department that are receiving the cost of club membership fees, including sports clubs and professional bodies, as part of their contract of employment; the total cost per year to his Department of paying these fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51365/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not pay membership fees in respect of any social or sporting clubs .

Expenditure in respect of staff membership fees of professional bodies in 2013 is outlined in the table below.

Fees to professional bodies are reimbursed in certain circumstances such as where there is a legal requirement for the staff member to be registered with a professional body (e.g. in order to maintain his/her professional qualifications) or where membership of the body enables the staff member to keep abreast of developments in a particularly relevant area of his/her profession.

Access to papers, training and development that accrues to my Department as a consequence of the membership of the range of relevant professional bodies represents considerable value for money in maintaining professional expertise and competency in key business areas.

Department of Environment, community and Local Government

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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240. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department is paying for any of its employees to receive third-level qualifications; if so, the annual cost for each of the past five years; if the employee will receive a financial bonus as a result of receiving this qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51379/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department places considerable emphasis on relevant skills development by staff at all levels. It offers on-going educational and training support for staff, in respect of particular business requirements identified through the business planning mechanism and the Performance Management Development System. Under the Refund of Educational Fees Scheme, which operates on an annual basis, staff members can develop specific business related skills through a number of formal education programmes offered by third level Institutions.

The expenditure on third level courses for the period 1 January 2008 to date is as follows:

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

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