Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual saving to her Department if spending on education and training were reduced by 2.5%, 5% and 10%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26918/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department has a budget to cover the cost of training and developing the Department's professional, administrative, technical and service grades in order to enhance the skills and knowledge of the staffing cohort to enable the Department to meet current and future challenges and promote the personal development of officials.

The 2015 budget is €450,000 and a 2.5%, 5% and 10% reduction would represent an annual saving of €11,250, €22,500 and €45,000 respectively.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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257. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual saving to her Department if spending on professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy and other advisory and consultancy fees, was reduced by 10%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26947/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The information sought is not readily available and will have to be extracted from my Department's Financial Management System and collated. The details requested will be forwarded to the Deputy on completion of this process.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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258. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual saving to the Exchequer if the Minister's special advisers' salaries were capped at the first point of the principal officer grade, that is €75,647; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26961/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There are two Special Advisers engaged at my Department to assist me in carrying out my ministerial functions in accordance with the terms of the guidelines on Ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dáil as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in July 2014.

One Special Adviser is currently on a salary of €75,647, the first point of the Principal Officer scale, while the second is on a salary of €81,676. In the event the salaries were capped at the first point of the Principal Officer scale as suggested by the Deputy a saving of €6,029 per annum would accrue.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual saving to her Department and the bodies under its aegis if all the fees for all State agency, non-commercial State-sponsored body and commercial semi-State body board members were reduced by 25%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26976/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The table attached contains information in respect of those bodies currently under the aegis of my Department which are paid fees namely:

- Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse

- Grangegorman Development Agency

- Higher Education Authority

- Residential Institutions Redress Board

- Residential Institutions Review Committee

- Skillnets Ltd- State Examinations Commission.

Details relating to the 7 non-commercial State agency boards under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills which are paid fees.

Note 1: The Chairperson of the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse (CICA) is a member of the Judiciary and is not paid by the CICA. The ordinary members of the Commission, who were all salaried are not currently on the payroll.

Note 2: The Chairman of the RIRB is paid an annual salary equivalent to a serving President of the Circuit Court subject to abatement to take account of his pension.