Vol. 502 No. 3
472 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if staff members of her Department have received funding to attend courses; if so, the number of courses attended; the names of the courses; and the amount paid since June 1997. [7590/99]
Staff members of my Department have attended courses which are relevant to the Department's developing needs to ensure the availability of skills and competencies to meet its organisational goals as well as to ensure ongoing staff development. These courses have been funded by my Department.
While it would not be practicable to provide the Deputy with a precise number of courses my Departments staff have attended I can assure him this represents a large number of individual courses dealing with Irish and other languages, health and safety, freedom of information, information technology, communications, professional and technical development as well as general staff development. There is also in operation in my Department an arrangement for the repayment of the cost of approved courses attended by staff in their own time.
Since June 1997 my Department has paid some £178,000 relating to the cost of attendance at courses by staff.
