Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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44. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of unpaid internships issued and or granted to persons to work in his Department over the past five years to 28 August 2019; the number of persons who took up unpaid internship roles in that timeframe; if his Department continues to offer unpaid internships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36149/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Internship programmes within my Department are normally remunerated.

There is an arrangement with two international colleges (University of Notre Dame and the National School of Public Administration in Warsaw) whereby short term placements are offered in the Department to international students for a period of between four and six weeks on an unpaid basis. These intern placements, while are filled on an annual basis, contribute to deepening understanding of work in peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland and our membership of the European Union .

The respective colleges nominate the candidates and approach my Department with a request for the placements.

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