Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

281. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details for the past three years and the current year funding allocated or paid out for Departmental employees for legal study programmes including EU law in the past three years, detailing the course title, the course provider, the course fees, grade of employee supported, whether course was in person or online and name of the scheme providing the support; if employees received any other supports such as time off; if so, the details of same, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38550/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In order to assist in achieving its strategic objectives, my Department is fully committed to enhancing the capacity and capability of staff and provides access to a full programme of learning & development resources to meet the needs of both staff and the organisation. By providing appropriate supports and encouraging staff to take ownership of their own development, my Department promotes a culture of learning and continuous professional development in line with business needs.

Reflecting the nature of the work of my Department, since 2022, there have been 310 occasions where a staff member has been supported to study in the area of the law.

There are three main avenues for staff to pursue their professional development and education within my Department, the Education Support Scheme, through individual requests for training, and via OneLearning.

Formerly known as the Refund of Fees Scheme, the Education Support Scheme has been a cornerstone of Civil Service development for many years, providing staff with opportunities to build relevant capabilities and skills, and to achieve a professional qualification.

I believe strongly in investing in the ongoing development of the staff of my Department, which is essential to both individual and organisational success. My Department supports and encourages staff to consider furthering their education and personal development with the assistance that the scheme provides. In total, 143 refunds of fees approvals have issued for staff undertaking studies within the area of law.

My Department provides a central learning and development offering via OneLearning. OneLearning is the digital platform for learning and development of staff. It provides the core, essential skills and capabilities for the Civil Service. This includes self-paced and virtual learning programmes, ranging from Civil Service Essentials to Leadership, and Data and Innovation.

Additional training requests are considered when there is a business case provided to support the request, and which cannot be met via OneLearning. The need identified should support or enhance the staff member(s) performance in their current role, their work area and/or the Department.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to legal study programmes, broken into the three categories, is set out in the attached document. Please note that the OneLearning courses listed do not have a direct cost and are listed as having no fee. These courses are covered by the annual arrangement between my Department and the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) who are responsible for the OneLearning platform.