Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 1

Written Answers. - Civil Service Staff Training.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

195 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education if he will outline, in respect of his Department and of any Civil Service office under his aegis, (1) the number and grades of the full-time staff engaged in the staff training unit, (2) the nature, number and duration of the training courses given during 1991, (3) the grades catered for on these courses and the numbers in each grade who attended, (4) if he has any plans in relation to the development of the training unit, (5) the number of those who attended courses at the Civil Service Training Centre in each of the years 1989 to 1991 and (6) the number of staff who are paid a refund of, (a) full fees and (b) part fees in respect of attendance at educational courses leading to the award of degrees, certificates and other qualification; and if, in the case of (b) above, he will further outline the percentage of the fee which is refunded and the way in which that percentage was determined.

Minister for Education (Mr. S. Brennan)

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: (1) One higher executive officer; One staff officer (job-sharer); and one clerical officer.

(2) The courses provided can be broadly categorised under the following general headings: (a) Computer Skills — 48 specially commissioned end-user courses in various software packages (courses confined to Department of Education staff — 376 attendances); attendances by individual officers (45 in total) at 30 courses provided by outside agencies in a variety of specialised computer packages. Duration: From one to three days. (b) Supervisory-Managerial-Professional Skills — 98 courses on a range of issues; and 13 courses as part of a supervisory-management skills training network for staff officers and higher executive officers. Duration: Half-day modules (on-going). (c) Language Skills — four "live" courses in business French. Duration: Half-day; and self-teaching systems in Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian.

(3) The following grades were catered for. The numbers quoted represent attendances — some officers would have attended more than one course-seminar: General Service Staff: Clerical assistant — including typists (95); clerical officers (107); staff officer (65); executive officer (157); higher executive officer (138); administrative officer (2); assistant principal officer (36); principal officer (24); assistant secretary (7); and secretary (2). Professional Staff: Schools inspector (149); editor (1); quantity surveyor (1); psychologist (30) statistician (3); and architect (3);

(4) During 1991 an additional member of staff was assigned to the training section. This officer's duties include the ongoing gathering of data in relation to the age, gender and educational profile of staff. This information is considered essential to the provision of meaningful staff development programmes as well as responding to the Civil Service policy on equal opportunities.

(5) The following numbers represent nominations to courses at the Civil Service Training Centre. Actual attendances, in respect of which detailed figures are not available, may differ slightly: 1989, 13; 1990, 7 and 1991, 30

(6) The following figures are in respect of fees refunded in 1991: Full fee refunds, 30; Partial fee refunds, 4; (three at ? of fees) and (one at ? of fees).

Partial refunds were in respect of officers who left or joined the Department during the academic year in question. The refunds issued represent full refunds for the portion of the academic year which coincided with their service with my Department.