Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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748. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of secondments from his Department to external private firms in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; the firms involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1844/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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749. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of secondments based in his Department from external private firms in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; the firms involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1858/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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750. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has a policy regarding secondments from and within his Department to external firms; when the policy was initiated and last updated; the details of the policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1872/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 748 to 750, inclusive, together.

No secondments have taken place between my Department and any external private firm during the period in question. To date, the usual secondment arrangements in my Department have involved staff coming from or going to other Departments and State Agencies such as the IDA. However, as I announced at this week’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Conference, my Department is in the process of finalising an initiative which will provide for the temporary exchange of personnel between the Department and leading global Irish firms. The first exchanges will take place in the coming months with global aviation leasing company, Avolon Holdings, with further exchanges planned for later this year.

Such exchanges will further Ireland’s role in the global economy through enhancing the skillsets, contacts and experience of personnel in both the public and private sectors.