124. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union will be proposing Irish civil servants to participate in the Autumn 2026 and Spring 2027 sessions of the Erasmus for Public Administrations programme; if so, to outline the application procedure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51862/26]

The Erasmus Public Administration Programme is a 10-day professional traineeship designed to help new national civil servants across the EU learn more about the EU decision-making processes and the way the institutions function. It was launched by the European Parliament in 2008 and is managed by the European School of Administration. The programme runs twice per year in spring and autumn.

Ireland receives an allocation of one spot per year on this programme, which was already filled as part of the spring 2026 session. If any additional spots become available for Ireland this autumn, they will be offered to candidates on the current waitlist based on their application scores as part of the assessment for the spring 2026 session. Irish civil servants can look out for a new call for applications for the spring 2027 session later this year which will be shared with Government departments.