asked the Taoiseach 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.
399.
One officer in my Department is currently on paid educational leave attending a one year B.Sc. (Public Administration) Course from October 1984 to June 1985. The salary and fee costs arising in 1985 will amount to approximately £7,160.
During 1984, four officers of my Department, including the officer previously mentioned, were on paid educational leave at an average cost arising in 1984 of £4,332. One officer serving in the National Museum was on paid educational leave at a cost of £4,055.32.
The position in the Central Statistics Office, which comes under the aegis of my Department is that one officer is on unpaid educational leave since October 1981, pursuing a four year computer course in the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick. No other officer was on paid or unpaid educational leave during 1984 in the Central Statistics Office.