Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
416. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to outline the internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes run by her Department and public bodies under the aegis of her Department. [35494/23]
View answerI am advised that my Department facilitates a number of internships and graduate schemes as follows:
An Coimisinéir Teanga work placement.
This is a 12 week placement offered to one candidate each year usually from January to March. These placements provide participants with an opportunity to gain practical experience of the work of the Office of the Language Commissioner intended to complement their academic studies. The Temporary Clerical Officer salary applies.
IGEES Internships
In 2022 and 2023, the Department has provided 12 week internships to university students enrolled in the IGEES Internship Programme which is administered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. These interns are usually placed from June/July for a period of 3 months. In 2022, the Department employed one IGEES intern. This year, two interns employed by the Department as IGEES interns. The Temporary Clerical Officer salary applies.
EU Internships
The Internship Scheme in European Union Institutions began in 2018 and is administered by the Department in co-operation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, the Committee of the Regions and the Publications Office. The scheme is focused on the provision of opportunities for graduates to acquire work placements in the special subject field of translation, proof-reading and from 2022, interpretation.
I am advised that in 2022, the Department employed 13 Interns, 10 of which were offered contracts from 1st October 2023 to 31st July 2023 to work in the area of proof-reading and translation. 3 interns were employed from the 1st October 2022 to the 31st March 2023 to work in the area of interpretation, 2 of whom were re-employed for a further 2 months from the 15th May 2023 to the 14th July 2023. In all cases, the Temporary Clerical Officer salary applies.
Willing, Able, Mentoring (WAM) Internships
The WAM Programme, currently funded by the Department of Social Protection offers graduate placement for people with disabilities at Executive Officer level for seven months usually from July to January. From September 2023 these placements will increase in duration to 10 months. The graduates are recruited and assigned by the Public Appointments Service. The Department has supported this programme by offering placements to 4 candidates in 2021 and 1 candidate in 2022. The Department has submitted an expression of interest for 2 WAM Interns for the 2023-24 Programme and awaits the outcome.
University Graduate Placement
In 2021 the Department hired a university graduate on a three month Communications internship which was extended to 12 months. The Temporary Clerical Officer salary applied.
Bodies under the aegis of my Department
The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for those bodies and is not something for which I have direct, day-to-day responsibility.
