In 1984, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Irish Government and the Government of the United Kingdom. The purpose of the memorandum was to promote and provide guidelines for exchanges of civil servants between the two administrations in the interests of improving mutual understanding. An exchange scheme was subsequently developed by the Cabinet Office in the UK and the then Department of the Public
Service in Ireland. The administration of the scheme in Ireland is now a matter for my Department.
Under the scheme, civil servants from the Irish Civil Service may be seconded to the UK Civil Service for a period varying, in general, from six months to two years and vice versa. The exchanges may be on a direct head-to-head basis or on the basis of a one-way secondment. To date, nine Irish and 13 UK civil servants participated in the scheme. While the emphasis of the scheme within the Irish Civil Service has been on exchanges with staff serving in England, exchanges such as those referred to by the Deputy may be made under the current scheme.