Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

480. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of all third level courses, training programmes and courses provided for employees of his Department, and the accompanying cost, for the 2013-2014 academic year, from 1 September 2013 to the end of June 2014. [30091/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular form below.

In addition, there are a number of refund of fees for third level courses still subject to successful completion of the programme. If all staff successfully complete their programmes and claim refunds, a further cost of approximately €24,000 will be incurred for the period in question.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

481. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide in tabular form the annual saving to the Exchequer from a reduction of 5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 17% and 20%, respectively, in the staff training and development provision for his Department. [30106/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Costs associated with staff learning & development across my Department during 2013 were €100,000. This represents just over 1% of total costs associated with the administration and running of my Department in that year.

As a relatively small Department with a significant body of work to carry out in the coming years, I am very much aware of the key role that learning and development of staff plays in order to help achieve better policy making, better administration and better drafting of legislation with associated better outcomes. As such, I would like to see similar levels of investment continue and indeed if possible, increase in the coming years as more effective opportunities for learning and development are identified.

That said, the information requested by the Deputy is set out below and relates to reductions using 2013 expenditure levels as a baseline.