Mr. Maurice Buckley:

During 2016 there was an intensive continual interaction between the OPW, the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The interaction revolved around the points mentioned. They were the critical building differences which would result in business process differences. In fairness to the Departments involved, they accepted early on that, in the nature of the building move, it would not be possible or correct to provide cellular offices for the same number of people or anything like it, as was the case in Hawkins House. The Departments agreed with the OPW that it was a big change and step forward for the public sector in general that a particular grade, the assistant principal officer grade, would be housed in open plan office space in Miesian Plaza. It was the first time it had been done on a large scale in the Civil Service or the public sector. It was at a time when we were recovering from a recession, dealing with a clawback under the Haddington Road agreement, while the Department of Health was dealing with issue after issue in managing the health service. We took on those issues, but it was difficult and took much negotiation during the year. I saw some difficult periods when people were trying to do their best in the public interest in representing different bodies. It was not just about staffing issues. It was also about management being sure its system could be run. We could not risk jeopardising the work of the Department of Health in the move. If it could not function properly for even one month, can one think of the devastation it would have caused?