asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs 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.
409.
One third secretary in my Department is on paid educational leave at present. She is attending a course of administrative studies at the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in Paris for 14½ months at a cost of £25,133 which includes salary, superannuation, travel and subsistence. There are currently three officers, one first secretary, one executive officer and one clerical assistant on unpaid leave studying, respectively business administration, law and education. There is no cost in monetary terms to the State in these cases but the Department have lost their services for the duration of the period of study.
During 1984 one executive officer was on paid educational leave for the academic year 1983-84 for the purpose of completing a Bachelor of Public Administration degree. The cost of this to the State including salary, superannuation, and course fees, was £9,232. One other officer, a third secretary, was granted unpaid leave also for the academic year 1983-84 to avail herself of the Rhys Scholarship at Oxford in order to complete a Doctorate in Celtic Studies.