Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Taoiseach the number of public sector staff from his Department seconded to work in the public sector in other EU member states; and the schemes available for such secondments. [50996/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not currently have any staff seconded to work in the public sector of another EU member state.

In the past this Department provided funding towards the cost within Departments of releasing staff to take up posts as seconded national experts in EU and international organisations to increase the number of Irish people working in such institutions. This is now administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.

Advertisements for schemes that facilitate secondments abroad are circulated to staff of my Department as a matter of course e.g. the National Experts in Professional Training (NEPT) Programme, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which provides opportunities for secondment to the European Commission.