Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1387. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of requests to his Department that have been granted for various matters (details supplied); the number of such requests that were refused; and the grounds on which they were refused. [2499/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To date the Department of Rural and Community Development has not received any requests for career breaks for the purposes detailed. My Department is strongly committed to staff development, and staff within the Department are encouraged to apply for opportunities in the EU through the National Experts in Professional Training (NEPT) programme and the Erasmus programme. These are usually offered as secondment positions and do not require career breaks or special leave. In 2024, my Department had two staff members on secondments to EU institutions, one through the NEPT Programme and one through the Secondment of National Experts scheme. My Department is positively disposed to all such career development opportunities, including those that would require leave or career breaks.