Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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337. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the protocol for attendance by staff both civil servants and political non-civil servants to continuing professional development programmes and courses; the number of staff both civil servants and political non-civil servants in his Department that participated in such programmes on an annual basis in each of the years 2011 to 2016, and to date in 2017; the costs incurred by his Department for persons who participated in these courses; the providers of all such courses; the subject areas of all courses and programmes provided, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46058/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a budget of €475,000 this year to address the matter of staff training and development. Professional Civil Servants such as school inspectors and educational psychologists do engage in continuing professional development programmes to ensure that they keep abreast of developments in their profession. Staff training and development is available to established and non-established Civil Servants (which includes ministerial appointees) at my Department. However, in order for a course to be funded it must be established that the course is of benefit to the official concerned in his/her capacity as a Civil Servant.

Other lines sections that present business cases to the Staff Training Unit at my Department as to the benefits of having staff enrolled on particular courses are funded as they embellish the skill sets of the staff concerned and in turn improve outputs and efficiencies.

In the event a Civil Servant is funded to undertake a third level course of education that leads to an academic qualification a condition of the funding is that the official must remain an employee of the Civil Service for a period of one year in respect of each academic year that the course is funded. In the event the person concerns resigns as a civil Servant prior to this period coming to pass, the fees concerned must be refunded to the Department.

Under section 9 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan training will be centralised and a new organisation Onelearning was launched earlier this year and commenced operations in September.  It is responsible for the provision of learning and development interventions which are common throughout the Civil Service.

I trust the Deputy will appreciate that the question as tabled is rather wide ranging and it would take an inordinate amount of staff time to compile the information as requested. However, I have included data below on the amount spent and the number of training days undertaken by staff in the respective years.

In the event the Deputy has a concern about a particular aspect of expenditure on staff training he should bring this matter to my attention and I will arrange for officials to forward the information in due course.