Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let me give the committee the update on that. One of the key initiatives in 2012 is to cater for the relocation of some 50 military personnel from Coláiste Caoimhín in Dublin to Newbridge. There are great benefits to be achieved by greater integration between the military and civil sides so there is greater connectivity. A spatial audit in Newbridge has been undertaken. Space has been identified to accommodate Defence Forces personnel in the human resources area. The target date for relocation is September 2013 and the initiative involves the relocation of a number of departmental staff on the civil side.

Assessments by OPW architects and what are described as furniture specialists - I am not sure whether all of us could qualify as furniture specialists - are underway. It requires some structural works to be undertaken. They have been identified and obviously if this move is to be achieved by the end of September they will have to be commenced shortly. That is basically where things are.

Unfortunately, the decentralisation project was only partially completed. We had the property decentralisation of the civil side to Newbridge and the second part of this which envisaged a new building for the Defence Forces did not and could not occur in the financial circumstances. I do not mean to upset Deputy Ó Fearghaíl. I do believe the last Government made a mistake in transferring an entire Department to Newbridge. I know it is of benefit to people in Newbridge that people are there. It produced a very dramatic change of personnel within the Department, and we have very good personal in the Department, but it is the only main Government Department whose main Department is outside Dublin. What that has bequeathed to the Department is that where senior officials, such as Secretaries General, have to engage with other Secretaries General - there is a meeting every Wednesday morning between Secretaries General in different Departments - the Secretaries General of every other Department are in Dublin and the Secretary General of the Department of Defence has to travel from Newbridge to Dublin and Dublin to Newbridge.