Departmental Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Questions (240)

Marc MacSharry

Question:

240. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 717 of 26 April 2022, if will outline in detail the nature of the reciprocal agreement referred to; if his Department is providing a paid one year secondment of a first secretary to a company (details supplied); the cost of this secondment; the existing precedent for a paid secondment by a senior Departmental official to a commercial enterprise; the previous examples of secondments to the private sector paid for in the public sector from his Department; the genesis of this secondment; if the secondment arose as a result of an approach by the company to his Department, the Minister of the day or as a result of an approach by his Department or the Minister of the day to the company; if a business case for this secondment was approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; if he will publish the business case for such a paid secondment to a private sector company; the rationale for doing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21976/22]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department of Foreign Affairs agreed to assign an officer to a one-year reciprocal staff exchange with Kerry Group in July 2021. The exchange serves to enrich the skillsets, contacts and experience of personnel across public and private sectors, and supports my Department’s strategic objectives to further strengthen Ireland’s role in the global economy.

The reciprocal exchange is cost neutral based on a Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and Kerry Group. The officer seconded from my Department to Kerry Group is at First Secretary grade and remains on the payroll of my Department for the duration of the exchange. The person assigned from Kerry Group to the Department of Foreign Affairs is based in the Department’s Economic Unit and remains on the Kerry Group payroll. The Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and Kerry Group outlines the terms and conditions of the exchange, including the requirement for the Kerry Group staff member to respect all relevant Irish civil service laws and regulations.

On completion of this exchange it will be reviewed before any future decision is made. 

Question No. 241 answered with Question No. 224.