asked the Minister for Defence 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.
436.
The answer to (a) is nil and that to (b) is one. The officer on leave without pay is pursuing a course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Social Science. There is no cost involved for my Department. In 1984 seven officers were granted special leave for educational purposes at an average cost to the Department of about £1,150.