Louise O'Reilly
Question:
712. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice the number of students who undertook work experience or internships with State and semi-State agencies under her aegis in 2019; the cost in terms of wages and allowances; and the estimated numerical capacity of State and semi-State agencies to provide work experience and internships on an annual basis. [12959/21]
View answer
It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy within the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy to provide this information as soon as it is available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 712 to my Department, which was for answer on 10 March 2021, and in which you requested the number of students who undertook work experience or internships with State and semi-State agencies under her aegis in 2019; the cost in terms of wages and allowances; and the estimated numerical capacity of State and semi-State agencies to provide work experience and internships on an annual basis.
As you will recall, the information you requested could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to contact you again. Please find a response to this question provided below for your consideration and my sincere apologies for how long it has taken to gather this material.
I wish to advise the Deputy there were nine paid interns in the Department of Justice at various times during 2019, and three unpaid interns. The paid interns came via the ‘Willing and Able’ Mentoring programme and through a legal Internship programme arranged with third level institutions. The cost in the 2019 calendar year of the paid internships was €108,560. Two of the unpaid internships were for one month in duration, requested via third level institutions and one six- week long internship was funded by a third level institution.
International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT)
The Tribunal had six unpaid interns and no paid interns in 2019. All arrangements for internships are conducted through HR in the Department of Justice. These internships were short in duration (approximately one month) and were facilitated through direct contact between third level students, seeking experience, and IPAT, which is a valued participant in the ‘Willing and Able’ Mentoring programme.
Probation Service
During 2019 the Probation Service facilitated 17 student placements and one internship.
In part fulfilment of the requirements leading to the professional qualification in social work known as the National Qualification in Social Work (NQSW), students are required to complete placements where they are assessed against the CORU domains. These domains are set out by the regulatory authority, CORU, which is responsible for the registration of qualified social workers and ensuring professional practice. Students undertaking an undergraduate four-year degree programme complete three placements over the four years, and post graduate students complete two fourteen-week placements over two years, leading to a Master’s degree in Social Work.
All social work students are required to successfully pass placements in order to qualify. Social work students typically have one statutory placement and one non-statutory placement. The Probation Service provides statutory placements for those studying on professional social work courses in universities.
Courts Service
The Information Office of the Courts Service coordinates a schools work experience programme which accepts transition-year pupils on an unpaid one-week placement, per school year. 59 work experience students were placed in 2019. Internships are coordinated through Human Resources and there was one intern in 2019.
Legal Aid Board
The Board had 24 students on work experience in 2019. There were 5 trainee solicitors throughout 2019, the total cost in wages was € 32,711.25.
Private Security Authority (PSA)
The PSA had one transition year student on work experience in 2019. This was for approximately 2 weeks. There was no cost to the PSA.
Irish Prison Service
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) takes students on a 2-day per week placement, from the Masters in Applied Psychology - Mental Health at UCC, from January to June each year. These placements are a core part of the students’ Masters Programme.
There is no cost to the IPS. In 2019 the IPS had three students on placement across the Psychology Service.
In addition to the Masters in Applied Psychology-Mental Health students, the IPS had two PhD students, details as follows:
- One PhD student (with UL) started in September 2019. The cost to the IPS was €2,771.86 (pro rata, last quarter). Travel and Subsistence to year end was €105.18.
- One PhD student (with UCD) started in 2017. In 2019 the cost to the IPS was approximately €24,500.
Office of the State Pathologist (OSP)
The OSP had no work experience or internships in 2019. The OSP facilitates medical and science students on elective attachment as part of their medical training. These attachments and their numbers are limited.
