Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2025
23. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of requests to his Department that were granted for various matters (details supplied); the number of such requests that have been refused; and the grounds on which they were refused. [2499/25]
View answer55. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures his Department is taking to encourage civil servants in his Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks or other forms of leave to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy, and the Department's Gaeilge-Irish language policy and promotion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3935/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 55 together.
Secondments within the civil service are subject to the principles outlined in the Civil Service Secondments Policy and ‘Circular 27/2021: Secondment Policy for the Civil Service’. Moreover, in 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs adopted a ‘Secondments Policy’ which maintains the Department’s commitment to supporting strategically targeted secondments and other temporary reassignment opportunities outside the Department. The Policy recognises the value these opportunities offer to build the Department’s capacity to deliver its objectives.
There are currently seven officers from my Department on special leave to work at EU institutions. These officers are availing of special leave arrangements as outlined in ‘Circular 33/1991: Special leave without pay to take up an appointment with institution of the European Communities or other international organisation of which Ireland is a member’.
In addition, six officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs are currently Seconded National Experts (SNEs) at EU Institutions, including in posts that are of strategic value for Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Seconded National Experts (SNEs) provide EU and international institutions with specialised expertise from Member States' administrations, while fostering knowledge exchange with national authorities. SNEs must come from Government Departments or public sector bodies. These Secondments are typically two years, and can be extended for up to four years.
Furthermore, as part of the Department’s planning for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026 there is currently one officer seconded to the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in Berlin, and one officer seconded to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France in Paris. The Department is continuing to identify and prioritise secondment opportunities for officers in the Department of Foreign Affairs both in EU institutions, and other international organisations of importance to Ireland in advance of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026.
Under the "A Career for EU" strategy, the Government increased funding for the Centrally Funded Scheme to support 50 Irish civil servants annually in EU Institutions, up from 24 in May 2021. Administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, this scheme allows Departments to recoup costs for strategically seconded officers and hence backfill positions vacated at home. Funding was €3.5 million for 2023 and €4 million for 2024. In the course of 2024, 47 SNEs were supported under the Centrally Funded Scheme, with 39 of these in place in December 2024. The objective under the strategy is to support 50 SNEs annually and we will continue to work towards this goal. The scheme does not replace individual Departments’ own funding of SNEs but rather adds to Ireland’s existing efforts to strategically place people in EU and other international organisations.
I am not aware of any Department of Foreign Affairs officials who are availing of career breaks or special leave in order to promote the Irish language. The Department does support a number of officers to undertake Irish language classes each year. Currently 14 officers are enrolled in Irish language training classes. More generally, officials of my Department are engaged in a wide range of activities across the world that promote the Irish language.
