Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual saving to his Department if spending on education and training was reduced by 2.5%, 5% and 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26923/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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In supporting learning and development to facilitate the Department in building appropriate skill and expertise levels, while supporting officers in the area of self-development and life-long learning, my Department has a dedicated Learning & Development budget. In the most recent full financial year of 2014, my Department spent a total of €451,191 on training and learning & development. This represented a relatively modest investment in business-relevant skills development of the staff of the Department and is considered an essential enabler to building and maintaining our capacity to deliver the critical strategic mission of my Department.

A substantial proportion (23%) of expenditure in the area relates to the refund of fees to staff pursuing business-related educational courses outside of normal working hours.

The percentage reduction in this spend requested by the Deputy is outlined as follows:

DJEI Training and Development Expenditure in 2014 - €451,191

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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108. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual saving to his Department if spending on professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy and other advisory and consultancy, was reduced by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26952/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The estimated expenditure for professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy, and other advisory and consultancy costs for 2015 for my Department is €5,376,500. This includes the figure of €784,000, which relates to the Forfás consultancy budget which is now part of my Departments budget following the integration of Forfás in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The annual saving in 2015, if spending was reduced by 10%, would be €537,650.

My Department keeps the overall position on professional fees, under close review and, where a decision is taken to engage external providers, this is, and will continue to be, done in the context of the options open to my Department at that time and with a view to best value for money. Where the use of external services is considered necessary, this is subject to normal public procurement procedures.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual saving to the Exchequer if the Ministers' special advisers' salary was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade, that is €75,647; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26966/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The following tables set out the salary details of the two Special Advisors appointed by me as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, and the two Special Advisors appointed by Minister of State Gerald Nash, TD, in line with the Guidelines for Ministerial Appointments and as sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Special Advisors to Richard Bruton, TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation:

Special Advisors to Gerald Nash, TD, Minister of State for Business and Employment:

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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110. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual saving to his Department and the bodies under its aegis if all the fees for all State agency, non-commercial State sponsored bodies and commercial semi-State board members were reduced by 25%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26980/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The following table lists the fees for the Chairperson and Members, for each Board under the aegis of my Department. The Deputy should note that in some cases members may have opted to waive their fees, some members will be subject to the ‘one person one salary’ principle and others are Department nominees at official level who are not entitled to fees and vacancies will exist on various boards from time to time. In October last I answered a related PQ which highlighted the fact that 44% of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation related Board Members either do not qualify for, or have chosen to waive their fee.

The individual amounts paid to each member in board fees are a day to day matter for the respective Agencies. I have asked all Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of their response, and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

In addition to the above agencies, the chairperson of the Company Law Review Group receives an honorarium of €8,978 per annum. No fee is paid to the members of the Group.