Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 March 2023
232. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide data, if available, on the qualification levels (details supplied) of civil servants in his Department as of 31 December 2022; how educational attainment levels have evolved in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14633/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra233. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice the average number of days training per grade, in his/her Department in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; how this compares internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14862/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to building staff skills and capability by ensuring that a wide range of learning and development (L&D) opportunities, aligned to the Department's strategic needs, are available to staff, as appropriate.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the nature and extent of training for staff of my Department in the years 2019 to 2021 has been impacted by significant internal and external events. Over the course of 2019, my Department developed and implemented a major structural reform programme moving away from the existing traditional structures to a functional operational model. Staff were supported through the implementation phase of this transformation by an extensive training programme, targeting staff most impacted by the changes.
The Covid-19 pandemic followed in 2020 and curtailed the training and education options available to staff that year and into 2021. These events compounded data capture challenges, meaning it is not feasible for my Department to provide the average number of training days per grade for 2019, 2020 or much of 2021.
The following table relates to data specific to short term training courses funded and/or administered through my Department's L&D budget.
It is important to note that the information included in the table does not present the full picture of all training undertaken by staff of my Department during 2022. For example, workshops delivered by in-house subject matter experts or open access master classes. Training courses lasting less than half a day have not been factored into the totals included in the following table.
Furthermore, as it would not be practicable to break longitudinal courses down by day, information concerning higher level qualifications such as professional certificates, diplomas, under-graduate or post-graduate degree courses, are not reported in the table.
|
Grade |
Total Number of Staff as at 31 December 2022 |
Total Number of Training Days by Grade for 2022 |
Average Number of Training Days by Grade for 2022 |
|
A. Sec |
18 |
5.5 |
0.3 |
|
PO |
94 |
34.5 |
0.36 |
|
AP |
361 |
119.5 |
0.33 |
|
HEO |
300 |
147 |
0.5 |
|
AO |
371 |
87 |
0.23 |
|
EO |
540 |
200 |
0.37 |
|
CO |
810 |
144 |
0.17 |
It has not been possible to access relevant data in relation to any international benchmarks concerning the average number of training days undertaken by civil servants in other jurisdictions that would be appropriate for comparison purposes.
As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department and indeed the Civil Service more generally, is a beneficiary of wider educational attainment trends, with Ireland recently ranking third in the OECD for the rate of third-level education attainment, at 54% compared to the average of 41%. Third-level qualifications are now an eligibility requirement for a number of civil service grades and specialist roles recruited into the Department of Justice. While there are a number of specific recruitment pathways for graduates within the Civil Service, staff members recruited to roles where no such formal eligibility criterion exist frequently also hold third level qualifications.
At present, civil servants’ education attainment levels are not systematically recorded by my Department following their appointment. It is therefore not possible to provide data on the qualification levels of Department of Justice staff as of December 2022.
Where a strong business need is identified, the Department’s Refund of Fees Scheme provides support to eligible staff to pursue relevant third level, undergraduate, post-graduate and approved professional qualifications, as part of our broader efforts in building appropriate skills and knowledge across our organisation. Under the Refund of Fees Scheme for the academic year 2021/2022, 92 staff members were supported to undertake courses ranging from diploma level qualifications to doctorate degrees.
My Department will continue to support staff L&D to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to do their work effectively.
