asked the Minister for Labour the number of persons from his Department who are currently on (a) paid educational leave and (b) unpaid educational leave; the nature of educational courses being pursued and the cost to the State in monetary terms and in services lost by such absences; and the average number of such absences and average cost to the State for the year 1984.
Written Answers. - Educational Leave.
589.
There is currently one member of the staff of my Department on paid educational leave and two on unpaid educational leave. The officer on paid educational leave is pursuing a one year course leading to a BSc in public administration. The monetary cost of this leave is £7,331 and the Department will be without the services of the officer for 259 days (the academic year 1984-85). Two officers are currently on unpaid educational leave while studying for a BA degree.
In 1984, three officers availed of paid educational leave while attending the school of public administration on a full time basis, two for the end of the 1983-84 academic year and one for the start of the 1984-85 academic year. In addition, two officers attended a part time course of study, one for the master of public administration degree, and one for master of business administration degree. In the calendar year 1984, the total monetary cost was £12,944 and a total of 430 days' service were lost to the Department.
Five officers availed of unpaid educational leave in 1984. Two are still on unpaid educational leave while studying for a BA degree and three have completed their courses, two a BA degree and the third a post graduate course in clinical psychology. There were no days lost to the Department as officers on unpaid educational leave are replaced.